10 things I learned this week....

10. A leaf vac/blower is a girls best friend!
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!

9. A hedge trimmer runs a close second to winning my heart!
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.

8. An  entire day to work in my classroom is the best gift I could ever receive.
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.

7. Kansas weather can be surprising and a bit annoying!
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!

6. My daughter is spoiled rotten and I can't say no to her.
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????

5. I have a crazy neighbor!
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!!!

4. An entire day of relaxing and reading is necessary sometime.
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!

3. Conferences make me nervous!
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 :)

2. Dessert always brings a smile!
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!

1. I am horrible with big decisions!
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?

10 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....

10. My son is a horrible at telling a lie.
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.

9. I can't live without a microwave!
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.

8. 11 year old girls really care about picture day....ALOT!
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!

7. I love decorating!!!
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!!!

 6. Sunday volleyball makes me happy!
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!

5. High school homecoming brings out the crazy in my son.
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????

4. A giant Boy Scout sticker is hard to remove from the screen of a laptop!
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 :(

3. I take all bad behavior to heart!
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!

2. Having my son's spare key is not such a good thing!
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.

1. Pumpkin Bread and movie night with my sweet girlie can fix a horrible week!

10 things I learned this week....

I really look forward to this post every week.  It helps me to focus on the positive and if I can't find one....at least I can laugh at the little disaster that sometimes happen.

10: Positively Positive always amazes me with a post that is exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the right time.  Check out the one today.

9. Blogging has changed my world. 
I absolutely love to blog, and miss it when I don't have time.  More than writing blog posts, I love reading them!  I get the best ideas from the blogs I follow and I've even won some pretty sweet little prizes!  Look at the awesome gift I entered to win today....seriously, aren't they the most amazing little guys!!!

8. If I have one really great lesson in a week I'm feeling great. 
This week is was a writing project I got from Third Grade Thinkers.  It's going to be the perfect little fall creation to hang outside out room, and my students worked their little tails off on them.  Can't wait to finish them next week!  P.S.  I'll be blogging in more detail about them later!

7. When my kids are struggling in school it kills me!
My kiddos are lucky in the fact that school as always been easy for them.  They have never really had to struggle when it comes to their education.  That may sound like a blessing, but in fact it's not.  When bright kids glide through life with no bumps in the road they are paralyzed when they do hit a snag.  This has happened to Jacob a couple of times.  He really struggled with an Algebra II assignment this week and he completely flipped out.  He just can't handle not knowing what to do.  Thank heavens he has the drive to be successful.....it's buried REALLY deep and we only see it a couple of times a year, but it's there :)  He stayed up late, Googled some sample problems and figured it out.....he was able to get a B on the assignment.  I'm so proud of him for not giving up!!!

6. My daughter is changing before my eyes every day and it's killing me.
I know I've blogged about Katie growing up tons of times, but the night before last I peeked in her room in the middle of the night and there was this person laying in her bed that just couldn't possibly be here.  She was as long as the twin sized bed and resembled an average teenager....how could my sweet little girlie be this big and this grown up....once  again, Momma's not ready!

5. Forcing yourself to do all of your normal Saturday chores on Friday night is a win win!!!
That's what I did last night and I couldn't be happier this morning.  Now I have the entire day to work on 2 weeks worth of lesson plans, buy groceries, and take a nice LOOOONG evening walk with ol' Charlie!

4. Having your students completely and totally engaged in a lesson to the point that they are hanging on every word is the most wonderful feeling in the world!
That's exactly what happened during our 9/11 lesson Tuesday.  I was a little surprised at how many of my students had never head about it.  I know they weren't born yet, but my oldest was only 4 months old at the time and she has a pretty healthy knowledge of the events of that day.  Anyway, they loved the lesson, have been fighting over the books I put around the classroom all week, and learned a ton from the interviews they conducted with their parents about that day.  Nothing like the feeling of a successful lesson!

3. Sweet Autumn Clematis makes me smile!
The vine of Sweet Autumn Clematis in our backyard spans one entire side of the fence and is full of white flowers that smell amazing.  In a week or two the Monarch butterflies will be covering the flowers and the contrast in colors is just amazing.  I don't really love all the work my little garden requires in the summer, but it sure is beautiful!

This is not my fence, but my clematis looks just as beautiful!

2. It's amazing what a couple of hours of sleep can do!

Most mornings I'm up at 5:30 a.m. and while I typically get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.....I am completely wiped out by Friday!  On the weekends I sleep until I wake up naturally which is around 7:30. What an incredible difference this makes!

1. I love a change of seasons!

Okay, I sorta already knew this one, but I am always surprised by how excited I become for a new season.  I'm so excited that fall is on it's way, the temperatures have cooled, I can break out my autumn clothes, and fill my house with warm fall colors....I love this time of year!

10 things I learned

Just realized I have been so busy the past two weeks that I haven't taken the time to reflect on what I've learned.  We can't have that so here goes...

10. September is just not the right month for 100 degree days....I sure hope we are done with those until next summer! I'm ready for more days like this....

9. It's never to early in the school year for a sick day. 
Sis and I just finished our 3rd week of school and she left today at lunch with a tummy ache.  Thankfully her Dad was able to pick her up and take her home so she could rest....I sure hope this is not a sign for how the rest of the school year will be!

Here she is on the sofa with Dad :(

8. A thank you email from a former student's parents can make your whole entire week!
It's amazing what a thank you can do for someones spirit....I must remember to give out LOTS more of them!!

7. A Friday night curled up on the sofa with your favorite little girl can be the best way to end the week!
It's especially nice when she turns to you and says, "I love nights when we don't have to do anything and get to just do whatever we want."  Still smiling just thinking about the simple joy in her voice  when she said it!

6.  A little apple, a little grapes, some cinnamon, sugar, butter and a pie crust make the most amazing dessert!
It's even better when your son drives to the store, buys the supplies, makes it himself, cleans up his mess, and serves it to you!!!

The picture isn't pretty, but the pie was DE-LISH!

5. 30 boys between the ages of 15 and 18 left alone in a gym to play basketball without any adult supervision just might not make the best choices....not gonna say anymore on that one, just know I'm not all that comfortable with Open Gym anymore!

4. A little basset hound locked up all week while everyone is at school requires A TON of attention and play time on Friday night.....p.s. he can also be very demanding and a little annoying about it!

3. Three day weekends just might be the most amazing thing every created!
As my teaching partner and I realized...a three day weekend leaves a day for getting your house from nasty to livable, a day for lesson plan, and a whole entire day for fun! I sure wish this weekend was another long one.

2. A short work week can feel like the looooongest week in history!!
How is it that there were only 4 days in this work week, and yet I feel like I've been working for a month.   Holy exhaustion Batman, this week truly kicked my tush!

1. A leaky water fountain over a tile floor makes for a VERY slippery surface!
It's also the perfect place to fall and sprain your ankle.....definitely not my favorite part of the week!

10 things I learned....

10. No matter how prepared I try to be for the beginning of the school year it never fails to take me down!
I spent countless hours this summer making things for my classroom and getting ready for the first day of school, but I was still caught off guard by how exhausting it was.  Nothing like going from relax-all-day-without-a-care-in-the-world to on-nonstop-for-6-straight-hours-teaching-68-kids-in-a-day.  I know it will get easier as the weeks go on, but this week truly kicked my tush!!!

9. Indoor recess on the 4th day of school and a 15 minute lunch break are not the very best way to end the first week of school.....nuf said!

8. 4th graders are equally as excited after the first balloon pops as they are after the 23rd balloon pops!
We played a get-to-know-you game where each student wrote three things about themselves on a strip of paper and then put it into a balloon.  They blew up the balloon, tied it off, then took turns popping them and trying to guess the mystery person.  It was loud, but you would've thought this was the most exciting thing they'd ever done in their lives....hilarious!!!

7. Getting a gummy worm from the top of a cup, tipping the cup over, and putting the worm and a peach ring into the cup using only paper clips is easier than it looks, and about as exciting as popping balloons.

6.  It is absolutely amazing what you learn about individuals when they are left to put a 100 piece puzzle together with three other people.

5. I might actually be okay with the idea of my son driving.
He drove to school all week, picked up Katie from school, and went to the college basketball court to play basketball with a group of friends.....and I didn't have a panic attack.  I just might survive this!

6. My daughter is becoming a young lady and it is causing about as much stress as her brother driving!
We went to pay dance fees and realized she needed new dance shoes.  She had to get a size 7....last year she was a 4.5!!!!  Then we went to Target to spend the $20 gift card she got from a teacher friend of mine and she purchased a XS from the women's department!!!  Growing pains are hard on moms!

5. Something furry was under my deck yesterday trying to escape the two straight days of rain we had and it was driving Charlie NUTS!
I sure hope whatever it is doesn't plan to stay all winter....I'm pretty sure it was a mouse :(

4. My new group of 4th graders are the sweetest little things ever, and more chatty than I am.....if you know me, you know that's saying ALOT :)
They are always talking about the topic at hand, but they like to talk about it for a good long time.  We'll have to find a creative way to cut down on our discussion time.....I'm thinking writing :)

3. Saturday mornings just might be the greatest thing that occurs during my work week!
I so needed that slow morning yesterday, with my coffee, my laptop, my doggie snuggled up next to me, and no place to be....almost felt like summer again!

2. I'm ready for fall!
I've been pinning fall decorating ideas on Pinterest like a mad woman and I'm already mentally planning our Fall Fun List (to replace the Summer Bucket list) and my fall porch decorations....I know what Katie and I are doing during our long weekend next week!

1. KSU Football season starts this coming Saturday and I couldn't be happier!
Purple Power Play on Poyntz and the first MHS football game are Friday night and the Cats play Saturday.  I'm dusting off my K-State purple and my MHS red and blue and prepping my cheering voice for many weekends of football....EMAW!!!!!

10 things I learned....

 10. Doggies know when we are working to much and show it by pulling all the cleaning supplies out of the pantry and dragging them all over the living room.....if they're really depressed about your departure they will even eat a Clorox Toilet Wand refill  :(

9. All that hard work I put in this summer making stuff for my classroom is paying off!!

8. Only having 4 days to unpack a classroom, decorate, and get ready for a new school year is just simply not enough and causes a small amount of panic and 4 sleepless nights.

7. Jacob may have a fear of heights after standing on a 10 ft ladder and reaching high above his head to hang pom poms from the ceiling of my classroom....it's worth it though because those things are so stinking cute!!!

6. Katie still needs a certain amount of "Mom time", and working 12-14 hours days isn't helping with that....so glad we came home at 4 yesterday and relaxed and enjoyed a game night!

5. Menu planning a month in advance is a dream!!!  This week has been absolutely insane and having those menus planned out and all the supplies in the refrigerator has made dinner prep a cinch!

4. I'm very nervous to meet my new fourth graders and their parents on Monday night....every year the butterflies start a few days before the first day!

 3. The college students are back and this town just isn't the same.....only about 270 days until the next summer vacation and a quiet little town!

2. I am completely in love with these cool fallish (yeah it's a word) mornings and the fact that I have been able to have the A/C off for almost 3 whole days!!

1. My children are amazing, caring, giving, selfless individuals and I couldn't be prouder.  One of my teacher  friends had surgery about 10 days ago, and she too only has 4 short days to put her room together :(  My kiddies worked for almost 6 hours yesterday helping her get things ready.....I love those two little peeps!!!

10 things I learned this week....

10. An 11 year old girl would have her friends move in with her if that was at all an option!
Katie has been the queen of sleepovers, pool dates, and hang out time with her friends.  While I adore her sweet little friends, I am ready for that part of summer to be over and for the quiet nights of fall when I get my little girl back.

9. A serious accident really makes you stop and think.
My 16 your old second cousin was in a serious auto accident yesterday.  He came away with a broken leg and other injuries, but unfortunately the individuals in the other car were not so lucky.  Jacob is turning 16 in less than two weeks and will be driving to school every day.....I am terrified for him!  I can't imagine what my cousin and his wife must've been going through when they got that call, and I hope I never, ever have to know!

8. A list is a beautiful thing!
I am the queen of list making....I love nothing better than crossing things off a huge to-do list.  This week was full of accomplishments, and I'm feeling pretty darn good about it!  I think I'll give myself a pat on the back and get started on another list for next week!

7. The chef isn't always on.
Jake loves to grill and he's pretty darn good at it. Last night Katie requested his cheddar and bacon stuffed burgers.  As we were all sitting down to eat he calls from the basement (he chose to eat there because Katie had a friend sleeping over and he tries to stay as far away from them as possible ;), :Don't eat those!"  They were still raw in the middle.  Well, we all took apart our burgers and put them back on the grill.  When he thought they were good and done he brought them back in.  The girls and I had great burgers.....Jake's was still raw.  He was so bummed!  He threw it out and gave up on dinner for the night....nothing more disappointing than working your tail off on a meal and then not be able to enjoy it :(

I love this pic of him :)

6. I love laminating!
It's not so much the process of laminating, but the cutting out of laminating.  There is just something sort of soothing about the scissors gliding through the lamination film and the sense of accomplishment when you have a nice, neat pile of perfectly laminated goodies.....oh my goodness I am a weirdo!

5. Menu planning is well worth the effort.
Last month I planned out all the meals for the entire month of August.  It has been SO nice to just pick up that little calendar, make a grocery list and be done.  Tomorrow I'm working on a September menu!

4. I may be stressed.
I had a headache all day Wednesday and Thursday and it finally went away on Friday.  Unfortunately, it came back Friday night and is here again this morning....uuugh!  I have had  plenty of water, tried caffeine, have been eating well, took a long walk all three days, and have been sleeping okay.  The only thing left to attribute it to is stress....the strange thing is, I don't feel stressed at all!  The one thing I do know....I am REALLY sick of this headache!!!!

3. Having the windows open is a beautiful thing!
It's 56 degrees this morning and the windows are open and the house is getting a little chilly, and you can almost feel fall.....I'm loving it!

2. We have a move in date!
We were told yesterday that we can get into our classrooms at the end of the day on the 17th!  The 16th and 17th are our first official days back to school (for teachers), and are filled with meetings.  That means we have Saturday, Sunday and Monday to unpack every single thing we own, put together a classroom, and prepare for open house Monday night and the first day of school on Tuesday......aaaagh!!!!  No, I'm not going to freak out....I swear!  I'm going to cherish the fact that I get three more days at home with my peeps.  That means I get to take Jake to the high school to help him find his locker and classes, spend a couple of more days at the pool with Sis, and cross a few more things off my list before going back to work!!

1. I'm so excited for tomorrow I can hardly stand it!!!!
Jake is getting his big 16th birthday gift at lunch tomorrow and I can't wait! 

10 things I learned and a Currently

Every Saturday I post about the top 10 things I've learned in the past week.  I decided that since it's August and school officially starts for me on the 16th, (unless, fingers crossed, our building renovation is done sooner and we can get in and start working on our rooms) I would change it up a bit and do a top 10 things I will miss about summer.  We have had an amazing summer and I want to soak up every last second of it that I can.  I also want to appreciate all the lazy and relaxing days I've had. They will make me a better teacher, mother, friend, sister, daughter, and colleague during the upcoming school year.  I'm also linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for a fun August Currently!!

10. Crafting!
I love crafting and love having the time to do it.  I've been able to redo the master bedroom, mulch the massive flowerbeds in the backyard, create some spring/summer things for the front porch, rework a step stool, make a funky little wall hanging for the deck, and touch up all the paint in the house.  I've also squeezed in a little time each week to create a bunch of new things for my classroom!!

9. Cooking! 
Summer allows me the time to scan recipes on Pinterest, following cooking blogs, and browse through cookbooks.  I have done a serious amount of cooking this summer and have loved every second of it.  We are eating so much better than we do during the school year.  I really don't want to let this one go, so to help with the big job of planning and prepping healthy meals after a full day of work, I created a menu for the month of August, and made 5 slow cooker freezer meals to keep on hand for really busy nights.  I'm planning to make a September menu next week before school starts and then over winter break I will make another 5 freezer meals.....fingers crossed this works!

8. Organizing! 
Yep, I'm an organizational freak!  Nothing makes me happier than a neatly labeled pantry or a stack of bins and drawer organizers.  I just love everything in it's place and neatly organized.  I had time this summer to organize every closet in the house, the craft room and craft cabinet, the shed, and the garage.  I even made homemade laundry soap (love it and saves a ton of money), and hand cream ( I made some back in December and it just ran out in July....this stuff is amazing!).

7. Sunning and swimming. 
My daughter and I are sun and water worshipers.  We both love summer and all the sunshine it brings.  A day at the pool is just about our favorite thing to do.....I'm fairly certain I get this from my mom....she is another sun and water worshiper!  We spent many days at the pool, and 5 whole days boating and sunning at the lake with family.....I will definitely miss the sun and water!!

6. Lunch with my friends.
My fellow teachers you can completely understand this one.  The 30 minutes we get for lunch just isn't enough to really enjoy.  Most of the time we are making phone calls, setting up for an activity, and finishing a little photocopying all while snarfing down a cold sandwich....not really a break :(   This summer I have had time to meet friends for coffee about once a week, and enjoy lunch with my colleagues every Tuesday.  That's one of my favorite things about my school....we are so much like a family that we get together for lunch once a week all summer long....I'll sure miss that!

5. Grocery shopping on a weekday morning. 
I've mentioned this one like 100 times, but I adore doing my grocery shopping on weekday mornings when no one else is at the store.....sure beats the 5 p.m. craziness on a weeknight (sometimes complete with a snow storm).

4. Reading.
Oh how I love to read!  I will definitely not abandon this one during the school year, but it will have to be scaled back, and much of it will revolve around books my students will be reading for novel studies.....of course I do love that kind of reading too!

3. Athletic shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops.....also known as my summer uniform. 
I love clothes and I do love dressing up, but there is something to be said about knowing that a pair of athletic shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops are all you need for the day!

2. My slow and easy mornings! 
Charlie always wakes me at 6:30 a.m., but that's okay....it just means I get more morning to enjoy.  We go for a walk, then I have coffee at the computer and check up on blogs, emails, and Pinterest.  I then make some breakfast and eat it in the sunshine on the deck.  I follow up with some Words with Friends with my mom and Sister and then finally shower and get ready for the day.  Yesterday we had to be at the Dr. for Jake's sports physical by 9:30 a.m......we barely made it......yes, re entry into the crazy school mornings is going to be hard for all of us!


1. Game Night....every night with my little peeps! 
I will miss this the very most.  We end each night with a card game of Murder, Farkle, Sorry, Monopoly, whatever.....it is just the best!!  We laugh, talk and just act silly. All that family time is so wonderful!!!!  I will miss it so much when we go back to our crazy, insane, busy school schedule!

Wow, sorry that was so long!!  If you managed to make it through that without falling asleep here is my Currently!

If you haven't already done so, link up.....it's just too fun!

10 Things I learned

Well guys it's Saturday which means the end of the week and another 10 Things I learned.  I'm gonna warn you.....I had the worst nights sleep ever last night so this list could get a little strange......here we go!!

10. My daughter is growing up at rocket speed and I'm just not ready.
Let's just say that shaving, a make-up lesson, shopping, and a training session on the flat iron were too much growing up for momma in one week!!

9. I'm sick of summer!
Yep, I said it.....the lover of all things summer has had enough.  Today 105 tomorrow 107......please make it stop!!

8. Funnel cake for dinner......bad idea!!

7. Two gals left all alone for a week may put on make up and paint their toe nails......
but they'll also watch a zillion super hero flicks and have several rounds of Nerf gun target practice.

6. Not being able to talk to your son for a week because he is on an island in Canada leads to creepy dreams and unnecessary panic.....I'm ready for my boy to come home!!!

5. I'm going to have a Rockin' classroom this year!!
I have worked my little tush off making stuff for my room and I just can't wait to get it all set up.  Having my lesson plans done and all this stuff made and organized is going to be so awesome when school starts!

We made pom poms to hang from the ceiling!

4. Finding out that I will have to take two Master's classes each semester instead of one has sent me into nesting mode!!!
I am so freaked out about the number of things I will have going on this fall that I ironed every single piece of dress clothing I own.....even the winter stuff.....talk about being proactive (or crazy...you call it what you want).  I even cleaned out two more closets, planned out 5 freezer crock pot meals, the menu for the entire month of August and made a huge to-do list of school and home projects that must be completed by August 10th.....I sure hope all this insanity pays off!!

3. I may have a root beer float addiction!


2. A rain storm after weeks and weeks of 100+ temps and no moisture can make you act like a kid!
Yep, we just had to go out and play in the rain.....it was wonderful!

1.Spending an entire week, just me and my girlie has been AMAZING!!!
It seems like it was perfect timing for her and we have had some really special moments that I will always cherish!

10 things I learned this week....part 3

I'm amazed at how easy it is to come up with 10 new things each week.  I learn tons of stuff every single day....the trick is to take the time to recognize that I've learned something and apply it!

10. I was given the Liebster award!  Thanks Steph at The Quirky Apple (I just love her blog!!!).

The Liebster award is for blogs with less than 200 followers who need to get the attention they deserve--the rules are as follows:
1. Copy and paste the award onto your blog
2. Thank the giver and link back to them.
3. Nominate 5 other bloggers and let them know by commenting on their blogs.

And the lucky winners are....
1. Tales from Second
2. Shimmer Sparkle Sarah
3. Fifth Grade Fancy
4. Fun is Found in Fourth
5. When I Grow Up

 9. I can survive a hard fall!
Even if that fall required bouncing about 2 feet off a tube, rotating in the air and landing on my back in the water at high speeds.....tubing is so much fun!!!

8. My daughter can sucker me into buying her anything!
I like to pretend that I'm pretty strict and have the will power to say "no", but let's face it.....it's all an act.  It's because of this weakness that Katie was able to acquire a pair of these....

 

 and this on our trip to Grand Lake.

7. My son LOVES fishing!
I always knew he liked it, but I really had no idea how much.  He loves it so much that he was up before 7:30 a.m. with his rod and reel down at the dock fishing his little heart out every morning of our trip.

6. Charlie would like to move to the lake!
He had the best time sniffing out all the new scents, wading around in the lake, and eating duck poo (gross!).

5. Round Up is a girls best friend.....kinda like diamonds!
I have invested more in Round Up in the past two years than I have on food....okay, that might be an exaggeration, but truly, I buy ALOT of that stuff.  I just love wielding that little weed killing pistol and destroying those nasty little guys with one tug on the trigger.....ahhh, the power high an afternoon of weed destruction can give!

4. Having a second driver on vacation is a dream!
It's been 9 years of being the solo driver in the my house.  I've driven to GA twice, to CO countless times, OK once, and tons of other small trips to various sites in KS, and I've done it all by myself.  Jacob is finally old enough to drive, and I had forgotten just how nice it is to have someone to help with the driving on a long trip!  Looking forward to many more hours in the passenger seat!!!

3. I want to get back into Yoga!
I met a woman on vacation that was much older than I am, but she was in the most amazing shape....her secret....Yoga.  She does it daily and travels on the weekends to do some extreme Yoga.  Being around her you just got a sense of calm and peacefulness.  I want more of that.  I've committed to finding some Yoga discs I can use, and using them at least 3 times a week.  I'm eager to see what kind of difference it makes in my stress level this school year.  It's the first thing written on the to-do list I made (the after-vacation-to-do list :)

2. Making time for friends, no matter how busy you are, is good for the soul!
Nuff said!

1. There is a secret, unwritten rule among veterinarians that no matter what a customer comes in for, they cannot leave until their bill reaches at least $100.
Seriously people....what is up with that?!?!  No matter what I take the dog to the vet for it ALWAYS ends up costing $100!  Yesterday a $20 booster vaccination ended in a $138 bill.....guess I can say good bye to the fabulous Erin Condren lesson planner I was going to buy [insert tears].