tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90824496566873473862024-02-19T11:19:15.045-06:00Super Pig and Tyrant King Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-49558858689320411832013-02-10T21:07:00.000-06:002013-02-10T21:07:06.607-06:00Oh, here I am!It's been more than 2 months since my last post! I think I knew that my posts would dwindle once my Masters courses started, but I truly had no idea how insanely busy I would be!! The past two months have been NUTS! On top of a full time job, two kids playing basketball, one in dance, a dog, a house, and all the other stuff; I've added a class to my life. I was amazed to find that I had to do a full day observation at another school for the course, and that I would spend 10 hours a week on it. It's been a struggle, but I'm doing it! The real test will be this week....conferences, family, AND the course work! If I can make it through this week I can make it until graduation!<br />
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After two months you would think I have tons of fun things to say, and lots of news to share, but I don't. We've enjoyed lots of basketball games, a busy classroom preparing for the Kansas State Reading Assessments in 3 weeks, and class work. Tonight I realized I had 5 whole hours of free time. I finished my course work and couldn't work on my student progress reports for our upcoming P/T conferences because they were at school. I had the whole evening to relax and enjoy.....but I couldn't! I've become so accustomed to being busy; I've felt on edge all evening with all of this free time. I just don't know what to do with myself. I feel like I should be doing something useful, something that will help me out later in the week, but for the life of me I can't think of what that might be. I'm completely frustrated with my inability to relax!<br />
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It makes me acutely aware of how much I need to take more time for myself. I am constantly saying how much I need to get back to yoga and running, but I don't make the time. How is it we know what we need, but we won't do it. I will make time for almost anyone in my life, do whatever is best for the people I love, but I won't do it for myself.....why is that?<br />
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I think it's high time I found a few hours to go after what I miss! I miss being pain free on the weekdays. I get this horrible pain in my left shoulder/neck every Monday by the middle of the day, and it lasts until Friday night. It can be unbearable at times and difficult to move, or it can be mild and just a nuisance....but it's always there! It's gone all weekend, and then it's back again on Monday and sticks around until Friday. I miss running! I'm craving it and I literally dream about it at night, but I do nothing about it in my waking hours. I miss meditating. My crazy, busy, mixed up mind needs it desperately, but again, I do nothing about it. I miss hand holding. I can't remember the last time somebody reached out to hold my hand. I miss happiness and contentment in my job. It's been almost 3 years since I've had it and I just can't seem to get it back no matter how hard I try. I miss having a social life. It's been about 6 years since I've had any real social life. I don't know how that happened, but I rarely (like seriously....almost never) do something that doesn't involve work or my children. <br />
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I know all of this is a product of stress and fatigue. I know once school is out and I get a little more free time I will feel better. I know I have thousands of things to be thankful for and a pretty terrific life. Tonight however, I missing a few things that just might make life a little sweeter. Tonight I'm wondering if perhaps, I need to make time for happiness and quit working so darn hard! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-73029065597684408512012-12-09T07:41:00.001-06:002012-12-09T07:41:54.522-06:00Can't load pics....help!!Have any of you run into this problem? I'm getting a message that I've reached my limit of pics. Can I delete some without deleting posts? I'm not sure what to do. Do you pay for a subscription? I tried loading some to a private file on Pinterest and then using the URL option for loading pics and now, after 4 or 5 days, they're not showing up. I would love some help with this problem!! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-69829089773713494912012-12-04T21:03:00.003-06:002012-12-04T21:03:49.125-06:00We're spreading the kindness at my house to my classroom!So today I told my class about all the fun Random Acts of Kindness that my daughter and I have been doing. You should've seen their faces light up. You could just see their minds working on their own ideas. When I asked if any of them would like to do something similar at school, every hand in the room shot into the air!! They were so excited at this thought, it just melted my heart. Last year I used these wonderful little ideas from <a href="http://lillightomine.com/light-em-up---20.php">Lil Light O' Mine</a><br />
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and <a href="http://kindertastic.blogspot.com/2011/12/light-em-up-random-act-of-kindness-for.html">Kinder Tastic</a>.<br />
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I printed them out, cut them into strips, and we choose a new one each day. We also decided it might be fun to do some nice things (secretly) for our Book Buddies. We are also planning to give cookies and a huge thank you note to our day and night custodians. When I asked my kiddos if they'd ever wrote a thank you not for the custodian or given either of them a card they all said, "No." Then they all started talking about how much work they both do and how grateful we are for them. They were all a buzz this afternoon thinking about their ideas for being kind. I can't wait to see how much they inspire me over the next few weeks!!<br />
<br /> Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-54664838653818806232012-12-02T14:51:00.002-06:002012-12-02T14:51:13.701-06:00Currently and a few days of RAOK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's time for the December Currently with Farley over at <a href="http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/2012/12/currently-december.html">Oh Boy 4th Grade</a>!! I love reading what everyone else is doing this month. It's just too funny that Farley has a RAOK on this months currently. Saturday night my daughter and I decided we would complete 25 random acts of kindness this month, and then I hopped on to blog about it and saw Farley's December Currently.<br />
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We started Saturday night by heading to Dairy Queen for a half time treat during the K-State game and purchased the order for the people behind us. Katie was just beaming....she said, "Mom, this is awesome!" On Sunday we put this goodie bag on the neighbors garage door so they would see it when they arrived home from church.<br />
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Monday we are leaving a this for our mailman,<br />
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and on Tuesday we are leaving these in the teachers lounge for all the wonderful people at my amazing school!<br />
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Wednesday we are leaving a Pizza Hut gift card on the porch of a single mother with 4 children who is struggling a bit.<br />
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I can't wait to read what everyone else is doing!!!<br />
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<br /> Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-44405699303373794372012-12-01T17:10:00.002-06:002012-12-01T17:10:36.980-06:0025 Random Acts of Kindness to replace 30 Days of ThankfulDuring the month of November I made a daily thankful post on Facebook. I'm guessing a few people were sick of them by the end of the month, but I absolutely loved doing it. Taking the time to think about what I was thankful for each and every day was wonderful! I woke up this morning and really wanted to post something positive.....but what? Then I got it....25 random acts of kindness. The kids and I decided we would challenge ourselves to do 25 random acts of kindness over the next 25 days. <br />
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I immediately jumped on Pinterest and Katie and I found TONS of idea!<br />
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The last pic game from the blog <a href="http://lillightomine.com/light-em-up-2011.php">Lil Light O' Mine</a> and she has a planning guide and tons of easy and fun ideas! We are so excited about all of these ideas we can hardly wait to get started. Since we are sorta jumping in at the last minute (it is already December 1st) we decided tonight to treat ourselves to a little Dairy Queen during half time of the K-State game. While we are there we are going to pay for the order for the car behind us. I can't wait to share each week how are kind acts are going and to see how they make the three of us feel! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-2229517363085176032012-11-11T16:11:00.001-06:002012-11-11T16:11:28.738-06:00A productive weekend!!I wish I were blogging about all the school stuff I've accomplished this weekend, but sadly that is not the case. I do have my lesson plans for this week already done and some fun Thanksgiving things for the two days after that, but I haven't touched the 64 writing projects sitting on my table waiting to be graded. We used some books from our school library to research a state from the Southeast region. The students then practiced using the table of contents, headlines, captions, and scanning pages to complete an outline,<br />
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used the books table of contents to locate the almanac and filled out a fact page,<br />
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and finally, used their outline to write a 4-5 sentence paragraph about the history, environment, industry, and sites to see of their state.<br />
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They did an amazing job, and they were so impressed with their ability to write more than 16 sentences that they were beaming!!!<br />
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But, the real worked occurred at my house this weekend!! I used the laundry soap recipe I found on Pinterest to make another batch of laundry soap. <a href="http://superpigtyrantking.blogspot.com/2012/06/jute-listic-and-mercury-tastic.html"><span style="color: #f1c232;">You can read the original post here</span></a>. I love this stuff and it's costs about $4 to make 5 months worth of laundry soap.....BARGAIN!!!<br />
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I cleaned my washing machine <a href="http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/how-to-clean-your-top-loader-washing.html"><span style="color: #f1c232;">following these easy instructions</span></a>. Ummmm, my washer was beyond nasty in the fabric softener dispenser and a few other areas. It is so squeaky clean right now that I can't wait to wash something in it!<br />
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I painted the little ugly, stained wall between my washer and dryer a bright, sunny yellow color and created a cute little sign to brighten it all up. The sign says "Wash, Dry, repeat, repeat, repeat...." I'm planning to make a fabric curtain to hide the paint and things that are stored down there and adding a few other touches to make that dark, basement laundry room a happier place to be.<br />
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I made the yummiest chicken with cornbread dumplings in the crockpot on Saturday. You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diabetic-recipes/30-minute/easy-recipes-in-a-bowl/"><span style="color: #f1c232;">here</span></a>.<br />
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I snagged this photo from the website....mine wasn't nearly this pretty in my old chipped bowls.</div>
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Since it was almost 80 degrees outside yesterday I cleared the leaves off the deck, and the porch, threw out the pumpkins that were starting to rot, and put all the chair cushions and flower pots in the shed. Today it is 35 degrees with the windchill and the deck is bare.....waiting for winter.....and then the fun of putting it all out again next spring!<br />
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Finally I made these too cute Christmas trees for my dresser. Since my bedroom has a beachy sorta feel I think these look darling against my giant piece of drift wood and my shutters. I got the inspiration from <a href="http://www.shaunamailloux.com/2011/12/handmade-christmas-trees-pt-3/"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Shauna Mailloux: Make Life Beautiful</span></a>. I took her advice and made my tree forms from cereal boxes we had in the recycling bin.<br />
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This is Shauna's lovely picture, my camera would not cooperate! I can assure you mine are super cute, but her's are magnificent!!</div>
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I'm feeling so good about all the things I accomplished this weekend that I'm already making a list for next weekend.....that is if I can manage to use my time wisely this week and get those writing projects graded!! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-44018333040995875082012-11-04T17:33:00.002-06:002012-11-04T17:33:30.291-06:00Getting out of a rut....It's not easy changing your ways, getting out of a rut, reorganizing your habits....nope not easy at all! I feel like it's time to make some changes in the way I use my time. I know it's not going to be easy, and I anticipate a few slip ups (okay, probably several slip ups), but I'm willing to give it my best effort and see what can happen from a few simple changes!<br />
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I spend far too much time on the Internet reading blogs, checking out Facebook posts, scanning my email, and searching Pinterest endlessly for things I will file away and forget about or never get to. I've decided there's just got to be a better way to spend my time. I make a billion excuses as to why I don't have time to read, meditate, exercise, craft, and relax. I know, it's blatantly obvious to everyone that I could give up a little time on the computer and make room for all of these other things. Why did it take me so long to see it....I'm guessing because change is hard and I was avoiding the work.<br />
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I'm hoping to make one small change every 3 weeks. The first one will be sorta huge, but the others will be small and not too difficult. I'm hoping by making these changes I will feel more relaxed, happier about my choices, and more content. My first change is a doozy.....I want to completely revamp my morning routine! I am a creature of habit and have a great fear of change, so this one is going to be rough! I really enjoy a cup of coffee, the silence of the house, and some time reading all my favorite blogs, pinning unnecessary things on Pinterest, and checking in on all my FB peeps. But, is this really necessary.....is this really the best way to spend my quiet precious hour alone in the morning? I just know I'm not doing what's best for me with that hour.....I'm wasting it by reading about what the rest of the world is doing.<br />
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Starting Tuesday (let's face it....nobody starts on Monday), I plan to use my hour for exercise, yoga, and/or meditation. I'm working on a plan that will include 6 days of the week, and still allow my coffee and online time on Sundays. I'm really eager to see what a difference it has made in three weeks! I know Thanksgiving falls within my first three weeks, but I'm just going to be realistic about it. We are traveling for the holiday and I know I'm not going to workout every morning of our vacation....I will see how those three days go and just be happy with any change I make during that time.<br />
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I'm also working on a school change that I will add when I reach my three week mark.....can't tell you what it is yet because I'm not 100% certain myself, but I know it's got to do with time management! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-59261947657595065422012-11-02T20:26:00.002-05:002012-11-02T20:26:49.752-05:00CurrentlyLinking up with <a href="http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/">Farley at Oh'Boy 4th Grade</a> for her monthly Currently! <br />
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My sweet little girlie has been home sick for the past couple of days....she even missed trick-or-treating on Halloween because of her fever. She is curled up on the sofa next to me watching Phineas and Ferb while I catch up on my favorite blogs.<br />
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I absolutely love reading everyone's thankful posts on Facebook during the month of November. It helps to remind me of all the things I am so lucky to be thankful for every single day.<br />
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I don't play a lot of music in my room....mostly because I forget about it until it's time to move on to another task and then I missed the perfect music moment. One thing we do every morning though is listen to a Disney song on my iPad. I play it as every one arrives in the morning. The students have until the song is over to unpack their backpacks, put their snacks in their desks, turn in their homework, and get truckin' on their morning work. I love this new addition this year.....it works like a dream and I never have to get after them for wasting time in the morning! The added bonus is watching them mouth the words and dance a little as they are moving through the room! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-65360303157314324412012-10-28T18:18:00.000-05:002012-10-28T18:18:36.339-05:00Is it just Hurricane Sandy....or is change really coming?So I don't live anywhere near the east coast or in the range of Hurricane Sandy, but I've been having a strange feeling that I don't think is being cause by the barometric pressure. Have you ever had the feeling that change is coming? The kind of feeling that no matter what you do, change is inevitable....but you're okay with it! <br />
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For the past week I just feel like something is going to happen. It doesn't feel like something bad.....just change.....in a good way. I have no idea what it might be, but I think I'm ready for whatever it is. Why am I typing such a random blog post that no one else will care about??? I just feel like I need some proof that I knew it was going to happen, and that I should trust that instinct when it comes again. Could I be right.....is change really coming? Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-16893943989557757412012-10-24T17:44:00.000-05:002012-10-24T17:44:14.881-05:00We voted!!!We had the absolute best time learning about the election this week! On Monday we viewed a powerpoint presentation I made highlighting the important words we would need to know. These included: Republican, Democrat, delegate, campaign, electoral college, and ballot.<br />
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We read about the differences between the two major parties in this great country of ours, and learned that there are also third parties. We used the <a href="http://magazines.scholastic.com/election-2012">Scholastic News site to watch two short videos</a> about the qualifications of a president and how the voting process works.<br />
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We practiced our Nonfiction reading skills by reading an article in our Time For Kids magazines. The article told us about the Republican and Democratic candidates and how campaigning works. We made these super adorable lap books that I found at <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/election.php">Homeschool Share</a>! My student absolutely loved this project!<br />
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We wrapped up our short week with a Coke vs. Pepsi election. We first watched a short <a href="http://magazines.scholastic.com/election-2012">Scholastic News video</a> on how the electoral college works. My kiddos were floored to find out that the American people do not choose our president by popular vote. I loved this video because it explained things so simply. We stopped several times through to re-explain, discuss, and ask questions.<br />
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We used the interactive Electoral College map <a href="http://www.270towin.com/">here</a>. The kids each got 2 or 3 note cards with various states listed on them. The card also included the number of electoral votes that state receives. The students wrote their vote on the back of the note card and then I tallied the votes by changing the color on our electoral map. Coke changed to red and Pepsi to blue. My student were so excited about this activity. They were all just bursting to get home and tell their parents what they'd learned. I will definitely be using the format again in 4 years when we elect another president!! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-54303171794995659912012-10-23T21:08:00.000-05:002012-10-23T21:08:14.445-05:00It's conference time....I've got my fingers crossed that the next two days go by quickly and smoothly! I had one early conference this afternoon and it went great! I hope that is a sign for how the rest of them will go.<br />
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Tomorrow is going to be a very LONG day. My plan time is from 8:45-9:45 and that is the only break I will get until 8:00 p.m. My first conference starts at 4:00 p.m. and I have 8 of them straight through......so nervous that I will be yawning like crazy by the end.....I always think that makes me seem so uncaring. <br />
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Thursday I have a full morning, a pretty open afternoon, and another full night! Looking forward to having a chance to visit with all my little student's parents.....and REALLY looking forward to spending the day with my sweet girlie on Friday. Conference week always means less family time and that can be tough.<br />
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Good luck to all my teacher friends! I hope your conferences go wonderfully and that you hear nothing but kind, appreciative words! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-40870204151383873982012-10-22T07:11:00.003-05:002012-10-22T07:11:41.286-05:0010 things I learned this week....10. A leaf vac/blower is a girls best friend!<br />
I worked all day Saturday in the backyard getting a head start on the leaf clean up....I call it a head start because I usually do nothing with the leaves until spring. I used the leaf vac to clean up under the bushes and around the fence, and I gotta tell ya....I'm in love with that thing!<br />
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9. A hedge trimmer runs a close second to winning my heart!<br />
Yep, that guy is pretty handy. I borrowed it from a friend, and I'm thinking I just may need to purchase one for myself. The bushes will be looking shapely and fine all winter long.<br />
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8. An entire day to work in my classroom is the best gift I could ever receive.<br />
Seriously, if you're a teacher you know this. I actually got to enjoy my entire weekend. I was able to get this weeks lesson plans all finished (granted it's only a 3 day week due to conferences on Wed. night, and all day Thurs. and Thurs. night), and a head start on the lesson plans for next week.<br />
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7. Kansas weather can be surprising and a bit annoying!<br />
Okay, truthfully I already knew this! It was an absolutely beautiful weekend!!! Temperatures in the mid 70's, sunny, and lovely. The high on Wednesday is 84, and on Saturday.....47! I turned my heat on a while back when the over night low was 26!!! That's fall in KS....heater one day, A/C the next!<br />
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6. My daughter is spoiled rotten and I can't say no to her.<br />
It's true! I have a ton of stuff going on this week....including two 12 hours work days due to conferences, and my sweet little angel (dripping with sarcasm there people) decides she just can not possibly wear her school Halloween costume to the party she is attending Saturday night! So, I guess when we are off of school on Friday we will be creating a new costume....ugh, why can't I tell her no????<br />
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5. I have a crazy neighbor!<br />
Actually I have two crazy neighbors, but one is absolutely NUTS! On Saturday while cleaning up the leaves about 6 cops show up at a house in the cul-de-sac behind me. They go to one house and then cross the cul-de-sac to another house and begin beating on the door. They do that for 20 minutes, yelling for the woman to come out. They are in the backyard looking in the window, peeking in the front door, and finally she comes out. Turns out the neighbor who's house they went to first called the police because when she came home from an errand she found the other neighbor in her bedroom wearing black gloves! There is more to the story.....but it's just too much to type. Even though my neighbor is in jail at the moment....we will be very careful to keep the doors locked!!!<br />
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4. An entire day of relaxing and reading is necessary sometime.<br />
Yesterday I finished a book, walked the dog, went to Sis's volleyball game, made myself shrimp curry, and did lots of thinking. I usually work so hard on Sundays while the kids are gone. I always feel like I should get a jump start on the week, do all of these extra things so I can enjoy more time with the kids when they are home, but this Sunday.....I needed a break. I'm so thankful I was able to treat myself this way....I needed it!<br />
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3. Conferences make me nervous!<br />
Yep, even though this will be the 11th time I've done Parent/Teacher conferences I am still a nervous wreck! I've got an early one tomorrow during my plan time, and the rest are Wed. and Thurs......I am really hoping I'm not blindsided by some unknown issue. I hope the parents of my students think I'm doing a good job and that I'm able to answer all of their questions.....ugh, I'm never any good with parents.....I know this and this is why I work with 9 and 10 year olds all day :)<br />
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2. Dessert always brings a smile!<br />
I have been trying to make a small dessert each week for my little family. It's never anything fancy or outrageously special, but they always love it and they always smile!<br />
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1. I am horrible with big decisions!<br />
Yep, I freak out, stress out, and get all sick to my stomach. I've got a big decision to make and I'm already feeling nauseous! Why can't I be better with these things? Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-16682547821138901192012-10-20T20:55:00.001-05:002012-10-20T20:55:29.379-05:00Help!!! I need some advice!So I talked to my academic adviser today and I'm completely freaking out! The plan is to start my Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction with the Reading Endorsement in January. I have to take two classes per semester because I am taking out a student loan to complete the program.<br />
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My adviser said she understands my need for financial aide, but would not recommend that many hours to a person in my situation....single mother, 2 very busy kids, a full time job, and a part time job. I just can't do this without taking out a loan, and K-State requires I take at least 5 hours to qualify for financial aid. That means two courses.<br />
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I gotta be honest....I'm starting to wonder if I should be doing this. My kids are so busy, and I don't want to miss any of this precious time with them. They are growing up way too fast and in just 2.5 short years my son will be off to college. My baby girl is starting middle school next school year and then our schedules will be really crazy.<br />
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Should I be getting my Master's Degree now? Is it the right time? Am I setting myself up for failure by taking two classes on top of everything else I have going on? Can I afford not to have a Master's degree....it's the only way to increase your income in education. What about during sale week (if that happens....a disaster has happened with that...can't even think about it right now)....can I work 14 hour days and complete the course work for two classes and keep up with grading and lesson planning, and all the needs of my kiddos?<br />
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I just don't want to fail. I don't want to start and not be able to finish. I don't want to get half way in and realize I'm drowning and just can't do it. I'm so confused, and I could REALLY use some advice. Anyone have some experience with this? Any parents out there who obtained their Masters degree while working a job and half? HELP!!! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-14309626807044924722012-10-17T19:39:00.000-05:002012-10-17T19:40:38.373-05:00The Underground RailroadAs part of our study of the Southeast region we learn all about the Underground Railroad. Our social studies teacher just wrapped up this unit and last week we got the privilege of having a local organization bring us their classroom on wheels so we could learn a little more about the history of slavery in Kansas.<br />
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The kids get to attempt picking cotton and are timed,<br />
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they are asked if they would like to squeeze in to a box much like one a slave stayed in for 24 hours on his trip to freedom via the Underground Railroad,<br />
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they do a little research and question answering on iPads,<br />
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and they get to read all kinds of information about how some Kansans helped to abolish slavery.<br />
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Check back in the spring when we will enjoy a novel study on the book <i>Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad</i>.<br />
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I have not taught a 4th grade class yet that didn't absolutely love this novel study. We have all kinds of great activities that go along with it that I'll be sharing. We wrap it all up with a day long field trip to various sites that played an important role in the Underground Railroad! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-16508997519483360222012-10-16T18:26:00.000-05:002012-10-16T18:26:02.145-05:00Sea Turtle Week!So I'm changing things up in my 4th grade reading program this year. I am following an idea from a 6th grade teacher in our building and I'm skipping around our reading book....that's right, I'm not doing the stories in order....not quite a rebel, but I'll take what I can get :) I've decided to pull out all the nonfiction stories and do those first. I'm grouping them by themes, monthly celebrations, and what we are doing in social studies.<br />
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Two weeks ago we read the story "Mangrove Wilderness" and my kiddos LOVED it! Our Social Studies teacher is wrapping up the Southeast Region and since this story discusses the mangrove forests of Florida it's a perfect fit. <br />
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Last week the kiddos complete a readers theater called "Emeralds Eggs". I don't know about your kiddos, but mine just love readers theater. I put this little nest together to share with them, and to get them excited about our week of learning!<br />
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We spent the week rehearsing our parts for the play, researching 5 types of sea turtles (I adapted some information I found at <a href="http://www.seaturtleinc.org/education/about-sea-turtles/">Sea Turtle Inc.</a> to create an information sheet for each type of sea turtle...the kiddos used these sheets and the text book for their research. I also found the coolest little video on United Streaming of a sea turtle laying its eggs),<br />
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creating a graphic organizer with our information (this idea came the oh-so-creative <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2012/09/sea-turtle-stuffprojectresearchfun.html">Tara at 4th Grade Frolics</a>),<br />
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and making our very own sea turtles out of paper plates (I wanted to borrow Tara's rock idea, but out Dollar Tree was all out of rocks, and I had paper plates....so plan B it was)!<br />
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I was off for half the day on Friday, so I only got to see the excitement in one class when I told them we would be making sea turtles!! They wrapped up this fun week by partnering with someone who had researched a different type of sea turtle and together they completed a Venn Diagram identifying the similarities and differences between their two types of turtles. Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-48214733022819319082012-10-15T19:53:00.002-05:002012-10-15T19:53:52.097-05:00How we do Halloween!A little walk down memory lane at my house. Here are a few of the Halloween costumes we've had over the years. Most of my favs are pics that I need to scan and don't have access to at the moment, but there are some great ones here. Just looking at all of them reminds me of just how lucky I am to have such an amazing life!!!<br />
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This year is probably our last year of trick-or-treating....while I won't miss the actual trick-or-treating, I will miss the days of planning and preparing these super duper fun costumes! My kids are just growing up <br />WAY too fast!! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-58792883569777356682012-10-08T06:07:00.000-05:002012-10-08T06:07:16.046-05:00iPad Question????Do any of you have an iPad in your classroom? How do you make the best use of one iPad in a classroom of 23? What reading apps do you love?<br />
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Today we have an entire day of Professional Development and a portion of it will be dedicated to iPads. I'm just dying to know how others are using theirs. I only teach Language Arts and I teach it to 3 sections of 4th graders. I'm just not sure how to best use one iPad in a LA classroom with 23 kiddos? I would absolutely LOVE to hear what others are doing!!<br />
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Please chime in and help this clueless girl out. I am pretty skilled at using it for myself, and my daughter is a pro at playing games on it, but I want to know how to best use it with my students. I would also love to hear what LA apps you all are using and loving.....let the helpful comments begin!!! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-63596786357599535392012-10-07T21:02:00.002-05:002012-10-10T05:54:41.398-05:00What are you doing for Fire Prevention Week?I'm not actually doing anything until next week, but am wondering what others have in mind. At 4th grade we pretty much have the fire safety rules down, and have done the fireman visit a few times so I'm looking for new ideas.<br />
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Here is one that I thought about using last year but never got around to......<a href="http://www.lauracandler.com/filecabinet/seasonal.php">Laura Candler</a> rocks!<br />
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I found these two little worksheets on Pinterest and thought they might make nice activities for early finishers next week.<br />
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I thought this might make a nice homework assignment to get everyone thinking about their fire safety plan,<br />
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I also picked up a free packet from <span style="color: #f1c232;"><a href="http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=1310&itemID=44861&URL=Safety%20Information/Fire%20Prevention%20Week/For%20teachers/NFPA%20teams%20up%20with%20Scholastic%20Inc.">NFPA</a></span> and thought I might adapt it.<br />
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Our reading series has a short nonfiction piece called <i>Flame Busters</i> about fireman and the fire academy. I borrowed a few short articles from a colleague that might make great activities for Read to Someone during Daily 5. What else am I forgetting....what are you doing????? Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-19231715746320838672012-10-07T07:15:00.000-05:002012-10-07T07:15:14.506-05:0010 things I learned this week...This week was rough, and I learned plenty of lessons....some not so pleasant. I'm going to mention some of those not-so-great lessons, but I'm going to try to find more positive ones than negative ones. Here goes....<br />
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10. My son is a horrible at telling a lie.<br />
He is an amazing kid, trustworthy, kind, respectful, smart, athletic....but this week he lied to me. Not a huge lie, but a lie none the less. He lied about a soccer game so he could stay out later and finish watching the game even though I told him to come home. See, nothing huge, but it's the small lies that turn into big lies, that turn into bad choices, etc. Well, he got caught because he just might be the worst liar on the planet! Things didn't work out so well for him and I don't think he'll be lying in the near future.<br />
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9. I can't live without a microwave!<br />
Our microwave died this week, and I realized just how much I use that little guy! I didn't have a chance to go out and get one, plus I'm not sure what kind I want so I ended up eating cold leftovers all week for lunch. Then, my small and weak brain remembered that I have a microwave in my classroom...duh! I brought it home and we will be using it until I can do a bit of research (a.k.a. shopping) and find the one I really want.<br />
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8. 11 year old girls really care about picture day....ALOT!<br />
Katie had picture day this week so that meant a new top ("Cuz mom, nobody sees the waste down in the picture.") and a fancy hair style. The hair style required getting up 25 minutes earlier, flat ironing her hair, and then curling it into locks.....people, my girls got a boat load of hair....I mean thick, shoulder length, and wavy. The flat ironing went pretty smoothly, but about half way through the curling session, her curling iron died! She was majorly disappointed that we had to just go with flat, straight hair, and I was bummed that I will be shopping for another small appliance!<br />
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7. I love decorating!!!<br />
Okay, I already knew this, but when I get some time to do it, I realize how happy it makes me. Here are a few (okay, a ton) of pics of some fall decor in my little ol' house. I made the little banner out of book pages and jute, then hand wrote the letters....I love it!!!<br />
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6. Sunday volleyball makes me happy!<br />
Here's my girlie and her team in action! Sorry for the poor picture quality, the lighting in the gym and my camera do not work well together!<br />
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5. High school homecoming brings out the crazy in my son.<br />
He turned the 8th grade dance, red tux, into this for the homecoming gameFriday night. Katie painted the M for him :) Let's remember it was 40 degrees when he got home....wonder who will be sick on Monday????<br />
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4. A giant Boy Scout sticker is hard to remove from the screen of a laptop!<br />
On Wednesday I noticed that one of the boys in my class had stuck a Boy Scout sticker on top of my desk. I had a discussion with them about giving me a sticker and letting me choose where it goes. I explained that when I handed out the stickers I did not choose where they put their sticker, they got to choose, just like it was my right to choose where I put my sticker. Then I had to scrape and scrape to get the cheap sticker residue off my desk. On Thursday, after I had high-fived every one and sent them out the door, I sat down to check my email, and the same type of sticker was smack dab in the middle of my laptop screen. I FREAKED OUT!!! It took me almost 30 minutes with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel to get it off. I was in tears by the time I got home. I can't imagine which one of my little kiddos dislikes me so much, or is so mad at me that they would have the nerve to go behind my desk and repeat the same action I talked about the day before....bad, bad day! I'm guessing I will never find out who did it :(<br />
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3. I take all bad behavior to heart!<br />
Yep, the bad behavior of my students really affects me. I stress about it, and lose sleep. I've got a tricky one this year and it is wearing me out. I'm trying different strategies to deal with it, but right now it's just really got me down!<br />
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2. Having my son's spare key is not such a good thing!<br />
He locked his keys and his cell phone in his car Thursday night while he was at his basketball training session. I had to load up Sis and Charlie and rescue him at 8:30 at night.....I'm guessing this won't be the last time.<br />
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1. Pumpkin Bread and movie night with my sweet girlie can fix a horrible week!<br />
<br /> Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-22860360980037925842012-10-06T07:26:00.000-05:002012-10-06T07:26:02.915-05:00Writing, Writing, and more writing!I'm just gonna go ahead and admit it....I stink at dealing with busy schedules and stress. Yep, I turn into a cranky, whinny, pity-party kinda girl. It's one of the things I desperately need to change about myself. The stress of the past couple of weeks has really gotten to me. I've neglected blogging, I've neglected my house, and I've neglected my family. I've been so tired in the evenings that I just want to crash the minute I walk through the door.<br />
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Anyway, I'm hoping this weekend will get me back to feeling like my old self. I'm planning to get caught up at school (or at least as caught up as a teacher can be....let's face it....this job is never really done....ever!), caught up at home (even get a little fall decorating done), caught up on catching up with family and friends ( my Wildcats are fixin' to kick KU's butt at 11:00 today!!!! :), and caught up on snuggle time with my two favorite peeps (We're cleaning house after the big game, but I'm thinking if we crank some music and act a little silly we'll have fun....we always do)....yep, life is good!<br />
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On to the truck load of writing we've been doing in my classroom. Over the past 2 weeks my little 4th graders have been working on writing. We worked on a lesson on writing personal letters and they wrote their own personal letters to me about the book they are currently reading. We use this personal letter format...<br />
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This was tough for them, and after careful grading this weekend, I can see that some of them will need lots more practice. I did have the best time reading their thoughts on their books though. I just love looking into their little brains and seeing what makes them tick :)<br />
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We also finished up our leaf projects. I got the idea from Doris at <a href="http://thirdgradethinkers8.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50">Third Grade Thinkers</a>. I provided an assortment of fall colored leaves for the kids to choose from and a piece of construction paper. Then I asked them what they thought we would be doing with these supplies. They all thought we would be doing some type of fall tree or fall picture....wrong! When I told them they had turn their leaf into something else their eyes went buggy! I told them they were to glue their leaf onto their page and make a full color picture, but their leaf had to be something else. They could color it, draw on it and fold it, but they couldn't cut it in any way.<br />
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You should've seen their little minds working. They came up with some super creative ideas!! They finished the project by writing a descriptive paragraph about their leaf. We spent some time peer editing and then wrote our final draft. I wish we had more time to spend on the editing and publishing piece, but this project just got away from me and we ran out of time. <br />
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We wrapped up this past week with a full 20 minute Work on Writing session. I truly thought this was going to be a disaster. I still have some peeps struggling to do Read to Self for 15 minutes, so I thought writing would be a tragic fail.....not the case! I found a fun prompt in a book I've had for years and put it on the white board and told them they had to write for 20 whole minutes. You should've seen their faces.<br />
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But guys, they did it! They really wrote, and wrote and wrote....they didn't want to stop. They were so proud of the fact that they'd written for 20 minutes, and of the projects they'd created that they were beaming. They are all begging to share their stories on Monday. I think the key here was the prompt....they just LOVED it!!<br />
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Here's the prompt to try with you own kiddo's. "September is the 9th month of the year. In honor of nines please use this story starter to write a story about nines. Nine brothers and nine sisters lived in a nine-story house. On September 9, 2999 they...."<br />
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I can't wait to listen to them read these to the class over the next week or two.....I just love it when something works and my students get as excited about it as I do!!! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-54859285514812159642012-10-05T06:08:00.003-05:002012-10-05T06:08:51.256-05:00CurrentlyBoy oh' boy am I lucky to <a href="http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/2012/10/currently-october-for-classroom-and-you.html"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Farley</span> </a>hosts a montly Currently or I would have gone a full with with out a blog post. <br />
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My favorite Halloween book goes way back to when I was a little girl.<br />
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I loved this book then and still do. I read it to both of my children every year when they were younger! My birthday is on Halloween so it's always been a special time of year for me.<br />
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Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-36407095240631604122012-09-29T07:57:00.000-05:002012-09-29T07:57:06.486-05:00Fall is on my mind....not school....fall!Yesterday we had an Early Release day....that means the students leave at 1:20 p.m. and we get to stay and work in our rooms! I am legendary for talking up a storm on these days and getting absolutely nothing done, but this Friday was different.....I closed my door, kept my mouth shut, and worked like crazy. I finished my reading groups and put them onto a board so we can be in full swing with Daily 5 next week, I finished my lesson plans for next week, got most of my copies done, and even put together some things for my teacher aide to do that will help me a ton! I'm feeling so good knowing that this entire weekend is just for me...no school, no work, just fun and relaxation....well, except for the endless list of errands I have to run today....but then the rest of the weekend is mine :)<br />
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I am making a list of supplies I will need to create some new fall decor for my house. I'm just bursting with excitement about getting this house all cozy and smelling yummy for fall. Here are a few of my favorite things from Pinterest, and a few of the things I'm planning to put together this weekend!!!<br />
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Happy Fall! Hope you are taking a little time for yourself this weekend....you deserve it!!! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-558427070605538082012-09-26T06:19:00.002-05:002012-09-26T06:19:39.976-05:00It's only Wednesday???Man oh man is this week taking forever! I am so in need of a weekend I can't even tell you. Due to my consignment sale last week I haven't slept past 5:30 a.m. since September 16th....I'm so tired I can't even think straight. I woke up this morning all happy and smiling because it was Thursday only to realize a second later that it's only Wednesday. <br />
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I had planned to get all caught up in my classroom this week (since I had to be at my other job from 4:30-9:00 every night last week, had a sub Friday and worked at my other job all weekend), but wouldn't you know my sweet girlie was sick :( I ended up getting a half day sub on Monday and spent the afternoon with her. That didn't actually turn out so bad.....I spent 4 HOURS grading....honestly! I am thankful to be all caught up on my grades, but other things in my room are not so pretty.<br />
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I have not entered a single grade this year in our online system. It was down until this week and I've been too busy this week to get to it. We are a full week behind on a leaf writing project I started.....why do lesson always take far longer than I plan for??? My house is disgusting! The dog needs a bath. I really want to put my fall decor out and clean up the flower beds in my yard before the first freeze. My son has a test coming up that I promised him I'd help study for. I need to find time to go to the vet to refill the dogs heartworm medicine. My son desperately needs some new shirts,and my help studying for an upcoming Sociology test. I have no lesson plans for next week, and I have at least 3 students that I need to follow up on with special education.....any ideas how I can add a few more hours to each day so I can get this all done?????<br />
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On a happy note, I received an email today from Aimee at <a href="http://primarily-speaking.blogspot.com/">Primarily Speaking</a>.....I won 3 things from her <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Aimee-Salazar/Order:Best-Sellers/Page:3">TPT</a> store. I chose the Fall and Winter Themed Literacy Centers<br />
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and the Possessive Noun Sort.<br />
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I've got a few who are REALLY struggling with 4th grade curriculum and these center activities are going to be a HUGE help to me. Can't wait to get them all ready to go and use them!<br />
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I am making a promise to take pictures of our finished leaf projects today and to post about them tomorrow. I'm also making a promise to myself to enjoy this weekend and not freak out about all the stuff I need to do. I'm only one person with a ton of responsibilities and I know in my heart I'm doing the very best I can.<br />
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Happy Hump Day All :) Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-30351409721779431642012-09-24T06:13:00.000-05:002012-09-24T06:13:07.787-05:00I survived sale weekend!!That's right, I made it! The consignment sale is over and I'm still around to tell about it. It was so amazing!!! We are so lucky to know the very best people.....our volunteers, consignors, and vendors are just plain AWESOME!!! They work so hard and help Sarah and I make our sale great! I can't believe we have been doing this thing for 10 years, and I can't believe how huge it has grown :)<br />
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I gotta tell you though, I was so dog tired on Friday night I wasn't sure I was going to make it. Then Saturday rolled around and by noon I stuffy and had a sore throat.....yikes! Thankfully I was feeling better Sunday and today I'm thinking it's just my yuck'o allergies. We hold the sale at the National Guard Armory, and since they store military equipment and truck in there it's not exactly a clean environment and all that dust just made my little ol' allergies go CRAZY!!<br />
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I can't believe off to school again today. I'm thinking I probably should've at least taken a half day for myself. I really could use another few hours of sleep! Plus, my girlie is sick with a head cold. She will probably go to school today, but she has the kinda cold where she could make it through school, but one more day of rest might be better. I'm just glad that we have no place to be after school today, and at 5:00 I can come home, make dinner take a little walk with Charlie, and relax.<br />
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I know it's only Monday, but since I worked like a mad woman all weekend I am really ready for this coming weekend! Sis and I are going to put out the fall decorations. The temperatures are just right for it, and I might even do a little baking. It's amazing how the normal work weeks seems so busy and short, but then you work five 12 hour days and realize.....dang, I've got all kinds of free time in the evening. <br />
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I promise to have a post this week about the fun stuff going on in our classroom. We are wrapping up a fun leaf writing project and this is our last training week on Daily 5.....next week we are in full swing....I'm a little nervous! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082449656687347386.post-5123535250543668742012-09-17T06:10:00.004-05:002012-09-17T06:10:27.634-05:00Going off the grid....for a week anyway.Tomorrow night starts our <a href="http://www.littlebritchessales.com/">semi-annual consignment sale</a> which means 14 hour work days and one tired momma. We set up for the sale from 5-9 and I have to try to squeeze in an eye exam at 4pm because wouldn't you know, my prescription has expired and I only have until the end of the month to use the rest of the money in my flex account....why wasn't I more aware of this when I had all summer to get it done???<br />
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(All the pics are from previous sales)</div>
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Wednesday and Thursday nights our consignors start dropping off their things....two more 5-9 work shifts.<br />
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On Friday I took a personal day so I could spend all 12 hours out at the sale. Friday night is a big night! Our amazing volunteers and consignors get to shop before we open up the sale to the public.<br />
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Saturday is a LOOOONG one. It's another 12 hour day, but after working that many long days in a row I'm usually dog tired. People start lining up to get into the sale about an hour before it starts....picture Black Friday....seriously, it's nuts!<br />
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Sunday we will head back out for 4 hours to sort through all the leftover stuff, hold our donation party (my favorite part of the whole sale), help the consignors get back the stuff that didn't sell that they don't want to donate, and wrap it all up by tearing down the racks and loading the last few items onto the donation trucks!<br />
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Sunday night I'll try to enjoy dinner with my kiddos and get as much grading done as possible. I'm so thankful I worked all weekend to get 2 weeks worth of lesson plans, copies, and laminating done. If I use my plan time wisely this week I should be able to stay on top of most of the grading, emailing, parent communication, etc. <br />
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Since I will be working two jobs this week and trying to be some kind of mother to my children I've decided to let go of Facebook, email, and blogging. See you all in week! Lisa Denneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01729366012766617123noreply@blogger.com1