Currently It's November!

Hello BlogFriends!

I love that Time Change phenomenon when an extra hour magically appears. I could use several of those... I have so much to do!

I like to leave the clocks "unchanged" when I go to sleep. Then I wake up early, work for an hour, and then set the clock back and work for another hour. It seems SO Back-to-the Future to live through the same hour twice. I know it's not really a sci-fi construct, but I like thinking there's some magic going on anyway!

So if it's the first of the month, it means two things: First, it's time to link up with DEAR Farley (I just love that girl!). And, second, it's time to make a new classroom seating chart. We "change chairs" each month. Friendships are sometimes fleeting in the lives of fifth graders. Meaning: The person who was your best buddy on the first day of the month is now, likely, on your list of least-favorite tablemates! (Then it takes me a whole week to remember the new seat assignments as I spend a lot of time looking for a child at the place he/she used to sit!)

I love fall colors... so the look of this month's currently makes my heart happy!

As I mentioned, we are still working on responsibility in my classroom. I like to find songs to reinforce the concept. If you are looking for a catchy tune to help your kiddos think about responsibility, try this one:

On to Turkey Talk! It's my turn to host Thanksgiving this year. That is actually not a good thing. I like the decorating part of the holidays, but I have no skill whatsoever in cooking. I think there will be eleven people coming to our house... which makes my heart rate soar! Last time we hosted Thanksgiving, the turkey was still partially frozen when it was time to put it in the oven. Maybe this year we will just start with pie!

I do enjoy making chestnut stuffing. You have to start with boiling the chestnuts, then shelling them, and then, then, then... The recipe has about forty-three steps! I think I like this one so much because it seems so New England-ish. Which seems like ust the right place to get a recipe for stuffing! I linked to a similar recipe from Martha Stewart below. I wonder if she'd be willing to come over and help a girl out...

Thanks to Nikki from Melonheadz for the sweet turkey graphic. (Don't you just love his little shoes?!)! Follow the link HERE to grab a turkey of your own!

Recently, our school District moved to a week away from school for Thanksgiving Break. What a treat! My family celebrates Thanksgiving on the Saturday-before, which leaves a whole week afterwards to fill with a mix of fun and catching-up on work. I haven't plotted out all of my days, but it sure would be nice to organize the assorted piles accumulating in my living room!

I will likely spend the rest of today re-organizing my guided reading groups. Our current structure isn't quite working for anyone. I am SO EXCITED that my principal has arranged for some extra support for our reading groups. With thirty-six kids, it's sometimes difficult to get things accomplished--especially if you are trying to do crowd control in the middle of small group instruction. Having an extra set of hands will really help, and I am excited for the opportunity to re-think this part of my day.

So that' what's currently happening in my little piece of the universe. I hope that you enjoyed some Halloween fun and that you have an enjoyable Sunday planned out.

Click on the button above to make you way back to Currently. To be honest, this "get-together" is always one of my favorite parts of blogging. I always make a new friend (or five) and Farley puts her whole heart into this cyber meet-up. Doesn't that make your heart happy too?

I am looking forward to chatting with you SOON!

Five for Friday... Cooking, Cleaning and Catching Up!

I am wrestling with the hands on the clock. I wish time would just SLOW DOWN. I have truly enjoyed all of my "minutes" during this break. I am one of the lucky ones who get a whole week away from school for Thanksgiving. It has been pure bliss.

Since I am always late for all-things-technological, it seems only fitting that I should be late for Doodle Bugs' Five for Friday. I know I am not the only Five for Fraturday gal around, so I don't feel too bad. In fact, I have blogged twice in three days. That's practically a record!

So here are some of the JOYS that have been a part of the week...

We participate in two Thanksgiving meals each year. First, we join in a "Family Gathering" with "extended" family and great food (because I rarely have to cook anything)! My friend, the hostess, is a gourmet cook... Translate that as: "YUM!" Then we have a just-the-two-of-us Thanksgiving dinner at home. Here's a picture of the turkey. Love the giant thermometer? A consequence of growing old... and I still can't read it without my glasses!

I did have some concerns that there wouldn't be any place to eat the Thanksgiving dinner. I have taken over every room in the house with piles and piles of school stuff. Wherever you look, there is a pile of books, a pile of papers and/or forty-seven assorted pens. The dining room table has served as my desk since September. Hmmmm. At least I have now have pictorial proof that the table was (once) cleared!

While I was flying through my cleaning frenzy, I decided to move some boxes into the garage. Of course, I had to have matching boxes. And the boxes had to have labels. And then I decided there should be clip art. I guess no one really wonders why it takes me so long to get anything done...

I love these clear bins. They have them at Office Depot (They have colored ones, too, which I use for curriculum). These bins hold enough to be efficient, but not so much that I cannot pick them up when they are full). I open them all year long to replenish supplies, and having everything in one--labeled!--place makes that task go much more smoothly.

 

Even after thirty years, I still love planning and creating lessons. With computers and clip art, I may love it even more at this point! I have to teach the water cycle in science this week. However, the water cycle lessons require (in my mind) some background knowledge about phases of matter. So I planned those lessons. And those matter lessons require (in my mind) some background knowledge about atoms, molecules and elements. So I planned those lessons too. At this point, I am reminding myself that sometimes you have to go backwards to feel successful going forward. And I am rejoicing in the fact that I have science planned for the week! Besides, I think any flip chart or slide show is better (or at least more fun for me to look at!) when a little Melonheadz clip art is added in. I love all of Nikki's kidlettes!

I still have a lengthy To Do list and LOTS of papers to grade. Thus my plea for time to slow down. Even if it is only to have a few more hours to "get stuff done," I still enjoy doing things at my own pace. And, happily, there are just three short weeks until the next vacation.

So, with a contented sigh, I wish you a happy Sunday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello Bloggy Friends!

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, I hope you are enjoying the day!

Although there will be turkey and accompaniments later, my plans for the morning include organizing some items in the garage and sorting through the papers currently cluttering the dining room table. After all, it will be hard to eat if there is nowhere to put the plates--or the food!

I'm embarrassed to admit: On most days, my dining room tables doubles as my expansive desk!

Like Scarlet O'Hara, I'll think about THIS in a little while!

I am thankful for so many things...
    - I am happy and healthy and have, truly, everything I need
    - I live in a beautiful place with lovely weather (Today's forecast is 87 degrees!)
    - My faith sustains me and keeps everything in perspective
    - My friends manage to stick with me and celebrate or console me depending on the
      circumstances
    - My family comes together for each holiday to kindle the spirit
    - After many, many years, I still love being a teacher
    - I am part of a wonderful blogging community, filled with teacher friends who constantly make
      my life easier--even when they don't know it!
    - My life is filled with blessings, big and small...

With that, I will send you good wishes for a wonderful day, filled with good food and good friends... and all the happiness your heart can hold!

Not-Even-Close-To-Currently

First (and most importantly), HAPPY Thanksgiving One Day Late! 

I hope your day was happy... and filled with friends and family and lots of JOY! I love this pumpkin-pie-eating buddy from Pink Cat Studio. Click on the turkey to take you to the collection on TpT... It's actually a fraction set. Neat-O!

Next, if I hurry, I can hit "Publish" while it is still NOVEMBER! And then I can link up with sweet Farley for the DECEMBER Currently tomorrow! (Or, knowing me, some day in December...)

As I type, the washing machine is humming away--filled with clothes from a spur-of-the moment adventure. With little advance planning, we decided to do some traveling and spend Thanksgiving with our "extended family" in San Francisco. We got up at four in the morning on Thursday and drove eight hours northward (Is that a word?!). A few hours later, we sat down to enjoy dinner with twenty friends and family!

The next morning, I was in Starbucks by 5:00, happily sorting and grading papers and sipping my current fav: a mocha macchiato (keep the vanilla, hold the foam!). I got so much accomplished, and it was just... BLISSFUL!

By noon we were in downtown San Francisco... half of the group went ice skating while the other half went shopping (Shouldn't take you more than three seconds to know which group I was in... Hint: Shopping doesn't require skates!) Then there was eating and sight-seeing and general merriment... followed by left-overs and more visitors.

This morning, we were out the door by 5:00, and eight hours later, we were home again. A whirlwind event--but a fun one--especially since I didn't have to do any of the driving. I spent my time napping, singing (off-key), grading a few papers and trying to use my iPad without feeling carsick. I couldn't read or type very well, but I did polish off a few rounds of Sudoku. (I know, I know, such an old-school choice, but I once read that games might help keep my old brain semi-functional--and Sudoku and Tetris are the only ones I can play for more than five minutes without giving up!)

Since vacation started, I have been planning some fraction lessons for my sixth graders. We went backwards to go forwards... and are looking at fractions in many contexts. Teaching fractions conceptually is so hard when students THINK they already know what they are doing. They have bits and pieces of "steps," but no concrete understanding of how or why. I'm actually having fun inventing lessons "from the beginning." I'm anxious to see if we make any progress... And I have my fingers crossed that we do!

I have my day planned out for tomorrow to finish up some loose ends for Monday. I hate loathe arriving at school with  parts of the day incomplete. Those are the days when the copy machine is broken or you can only find eight dice when you need nine. I want this week to run smoothly. I've got a formal observation coming up on Thursday, so I want the kids to believe that our days always run like clockwork. Do you think they can forget some of the chaos from the last three months? My To Do list is well into the second page, so I will have to be efficient. I'm sensing at least one visit to Starbucks will be necessary to see me through!

This month's (soon to be LAST month's!) Currently asked for something delicious... How can you look at this picture without drooling? It is doubtful that I will ever make this cheesecake. But I would be more than happy to buy it--and tomorrow would be soon enough! Click on the picture if you want to do some chocolatey baking! And let me know if you feel like sharing...

Of course I am leaving a link to Farley's... but it will only get you back to November's link-up. It's been all crickets there for a while. But, by tomorrow, the race will be on! Will YOU be in the top 100? For the record, I am #301 for November, so it's likely you will be posting your link before I do. That's okay... There are THIRTY ONE days in December. We've got lots of time!

Happy November (for one hour and fifty one more minutes) and JOYful wishes for December too!

 

P.S. In case you missed the link, check out all of the cute clip art and other good things available from Pink Cat Studio...

Happy Thanksgiving... Blessings and Decorations

Happy Thanksgiving, BloggyFriends!

Graphic by Pink Cat Studio

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is setting the table. I love shopping for dishes--I don't have to worry about whether or not things fit (me)! And my obsession with all things matching is given free reign! And since I cannot cook, I have to rely on things looking pretty!

Here is this year's tablescape...

Happy Sigh.

 

I rarely have people over... My house is usually filled with school stuff. You'd have to be an acrobat to leap over the piles of books and papers that generally fill the living room.

Although I have lived in the same, tiny little place forever, few of my friends have ever seen my home. It's very small, but just perfect for the two of us (If only it had a bigger garage...)

Today, however, the house is clean and ready for company! So come on in... I'll give you a little tour...

I didn't stop my decorating at the table. I found lots of great sales and just had fun

finding little trinkets, and pillows, and fall-colored things... and great bargains!

 

There are new rugs at the entry way. 

(These pics are for you, Kristen)

 (I've always hated that rose-colored tile. I try to hide it in any way I can!) 

Were you keeping track?

Did you notice that the wreath on the door matches the centerpiece and the napkin rings?

Another. Happy. Sigh!

Even the kitchen got a mini fall make-over...

I found some new fun fall pillows too (Normally they aren't all on the couch--I just put them all there so that you wouldn't be seeing fourteen photos of pillows!

 Fall colors were splashed everywhere!

 

Here's the hors d'oeuvre table ready for snacks. I love those little jeweled knives--and the pumpkin bowl! (I ate cereal out of it this morning!)

Notice all of my pictures are before the food! 

I am blessed to have talented family members and friends who brought over their yummy accouterments so that we had a DELICIOUS meal and, I admit, the hubs cooked the turkey! I made the green bean casserole (according to the package directions)... and I came up with the idea for pomegranate margaritas (although I didn't make those either). The dessert was another one of my purchases--but it was delicious--and stress free!

We had a wonderful evening! I loved having my great niece and nephew over to visit (YIKES! That makes me sound like I am 93 years old!), and it was the first time my niece chose a wine glass at her place at the table--even though she chose water as her beverage. We began with a prayer of gratefulness for all that we have, and added a desire to be conscious of those who do not have enough. We recalled those who were not celebrating with us and rejoiced in those who were were there at the table. We simply delighted in being together.

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy family and friends and I am thankful that I had a chance to do just that. It was a memory-making day that will get tucked away in my mental scrapbook to be visited--with a smile--often.

Thanks for stopping by to visit. I am thankful for my BlogBuddies too, and I continue to count you among my many blessings...