Currently April...wow!

It is already April 5th.  It's my birthday month and I will be 39.  Yup.  I will cry.  I did when I turned 29 too.  That one was rough, but this one feels big.  The end of my "youngish" 30s.  Yikes.  Now I will be officially old, right?  I remember thinking that 40 was super old when I was a teen.  Now it doesn't feel so old.  BUT I certainly feel like my body is getting old.  I get hurt and my body doesn't "bounce" like it used to.  I got hurt this past week...like pretty badly.  I almost went to the ER but I willed myself to NOT do that.  I was ice skating with my cute girls in Idaho.  My parents live there.  I am not great at it but we were having fun.  Then my oldest and I went hand in hand around the rink when, whamo!  Our legs intertwined and I went down like a ton of bricks.  I blacked out and everything.  It was only for a second...but when my eyes were seeing again- I was a starfish on the ground and took a minute to be able to get words together and to stand up.  I hurt my elbow pretty badly...not broken but it still hurts pretty badly.  I will have to get to the drs sometime soon I guess.

My head is ok now, but it scared me to pieces.  Being old.  No fun.  If I were still a kid, I'd be fine by now.

It will sound totally over-reactive but it made me worry- what if that had been my last day.  What if I didn't have a chance to tell my girls how amazing they are (another time) and that they should never work as hard as I do because family is always more important.  Silly I know.  It was just a goose egg on the head.  But it woke me up.  I have over-worked at my new job all year (in ways that no one but me will ever notice) and now I need to remind my children that our family is #1.  I haven't figured out completely how to do that yet, but my first step- time myself on the computer.  I can research, plan, scan the web forever.  I will now be giving myself a time limit (should've done that a long time ago).  It is not worth sitting in front of the computer for hours on end to do all this crazy amount of work that never seems to pan out, when I should spend time with my kids playing outside or baking cookies together.  I have said all year "next year will be better because..."  I am deciding the rest of this year will be better.  I choose to set some limits now.  

So, on with the show....below is the linky for Farley and my currently.

listening- I love chickens.  We don't usually have them, but we have had them before.  I grew up on a Maryland horse farm, so I grew up with chickens.  I decided I wanted chickens again and so, on our way home from our spring break trip, we got 3 chicks.  We will be getting 4 more, but I want specific ones that lay colorful eggs (Ameraucana/Araucana).  So, we are waiting for those cuties to come in to the feed store near us.  I can hear them because- while they are little and the weather is unpredictable- they are in our bathroom in a fabric dog crate with a heater.  I know a little gross but it's worth it to have those cute birds. 

needing- we came home from our big trip and the house was clean, exactly 24hours later it looks horrible!!!

Eggs-plain the name-  Ok, so I got a little side tracked with my answer above.  Albuquerque Amy and Academics....I wanted it to represent me and not be grade specific as teachers are transient and tend to change grades.  I have done that a bunch and so I wanted it generic in the grade area.  Albuquerque- because it is part of the alliteration and because no one would know where the town of Tijeras is!!!!  Some people know about ABQ but some people, as mentioned in the currently, think NM is another country.  I don't get it though.  We are between and below states that people know very well, so why do we disappear?  

Oh well.  Have a great week everyone and remember to spend a little extra time with your loved ones!

March- no madness here

Hi all!  It's currently time.  See below to join.
FYI- no madness here because...I don't like sports.  Sorry basketball fans, no offense.

Loving- I enjoy meeting with parents and talking about their kids but having both the Fall and Spring conferences completed is great.  It is a signifier that the year is coming to an end faster than we think.  I have a lot to do and I don't need time to speed by- I am just glad we are almost there.  As you'll see why in the next part.

Thinking- I love my students.  Always.  Every class is a new learning experience.  Sometimes I get mad when they don't listen.  Sometimes I get upset when they don't try their best.  BUT I always love them and find them important.  This year has been a busy one for me and I am spent.  I don't want to leave my kids- I just need the rest that May brings.    

Wanting- I always want to have more time with my daughters.  I just don't get enough and that goes a million times over this year.  My oldest is going to middle school next year and I am so worried...I'm not ready for that leap.    

Needing- I wish I could have someone organize all my stuff for me.  Sigh.

Have a good week!

Wish Upon a Star

Melissa Cloud from A Teaspoon of Teaching is hosting a give-away and fundraiser for Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Many people have donated to the fundraiser and it is some pretty amazing products.  I donated as well, but I will be purchasing the k-2 bundle (valued at over $70).  A few of the items in the pack are shown below.  Click on the pic to go to the TpT store to purchase this as well.

There are 3-5 and 6-12 packs as well.  Check them out below.  Click on the pic to purchase the pack.

Check them out and purchase them to donate to a very worthy cause.

Make-a-Wish

Hello everyone,
My bloggy buddy Melissa Cloud over at ...


is hosting a fundraiser for our areas Make-a-Wish Foundation.  Her school is trying to raise money for children who need a little happiness and joy in their life.  When I saw her post about donating for this cause, I joined in!
If you buy a $25 pack full of items that have various ages and curriculums included in it (and Melonheadz clip art), you are helping her school raise money for this worthy cause.  Melissa has done other fundraisers for Make-a-Wish.  Last year her school raised over $6,000 for it.  So, join in on this fundraiser and add more to her pack by donating OR buy the pack to support her school's fundraiser and get some awesome items while helping kids.  Can't beat that!    

Melissa said the fundraiser pack will be available Monday, after all the donations have been finalized. I can't wait to see the final pack contents.  It already looks pretty great!

Another snow day....it's a miracle!

Wow, here in the land of enchantment (NM) we don't have a lot of snow days.  Today we had our 2nd snow day in a row.  I am so excited.  I had been working at a school that was farther away than the one I am in this year and it rarely snowed in the area of the other school, hence, we pretty much never had a snow day.  The area I live in gets more snow, as I am in the mtns.  So, when it snows at my house it is usually snowing near my new school.  Yay!  Below is what my backyard looks like.  Not a ton of snow but it is pretty icy.

I am originally from the east coast (Maryland to be exact) and I KNOW snow and ice storms.  I've had to drive through my fair share of them.  So, I know this snow is lame to some but in NM there isn't a good system to clear the roads and there aren't a lot of plows, in comparison to other states that get a lot of snow.  So, when it snows, our roads get bad...fast (not to mention, most NM people drive and brake WAY too fast in it).

Anywho, I am working on a ton of school things.  It's so nice to catch up.  I hope you are having a super Wednesday too.

I just got Erica Bohrer's 101st day of school packet and have printed it out.  I will be doing the activities with my 1-2 combo class.  Should be really fun!

Click on the pic above to get if from TpT.  

Or click below to check out her blog.  I read it often.

MLK Day is coming...

Hi there bloggers and blog readers!  I had a super fun, first of the year, snow day today!  Wahoo- love that extra sleep!

I have just updated and added to my freebie on TpT for my MLK Day writing activity.  It is a cute bulletin board creation and/or writing activity for 1st or 2nd grade.

Above is a picture of how it could be laid out on a larger construction paper.

Above is how you can make it extra fun by turning it into a pajama and big breakfast day!  This idea came from past coworkers of mine- Colette and Caroline.  Thanks ladies.  :)

If you wish to download it for free from my TpT store click HERE.

Happy Tuesday everyone.

Currently 2015!

Wow, how in the world is it 2015 almost....in just a few hours.  It seems like we are way in the future, ooooh.  Future.....

Ok, enough weirdness.  Below you will find the link to Farley's currently.

Listening- we started a Harry Potter marathon during Halloween but ran out of time.  So, we are finishing the marathon and we have 2 movies left.  I am so obsessed with HP that I have actually gone to the London behind the scenes/making of HP tour.  It was amazing...I cried a little.  My kids and hubby weren't as amazed but they liked it.  They did it for me though.  :)

Loving- I posted earlier about my new boots from Dillard's after Christmas sale.  Oh my, I wore them the other day and love them even more.  They are actually comfy too!

Thinking- it makes me stress a little about all the stuff I have to get done before we head back to school.  Sigh.  Always so much to get done!

Wanting- please, someone help me stop eating all the yummy cookies!!!!!  We don't have junk in the house often...because I have no self control... no really I don't.  I should throw them all away, but they are just so yummy.  

Needing-  I need to get all my papers in order since I did a bit of "stuff and go" toward the end of Dec, right before break.  So, I need to go through it all and get it back in order.

Yes, maybe, wish- 1st two are self explanatory but I really have had a hard time getting any products made this year.  New school, new everything, lots to do and no time left for anything but teaching.  This makes it tricky to get TpT on the to do list.  So, my thought is that I will get back in the swing during summer.  I already have a LONG list started for summer and it's pretty far away.  Yikes.

Happy New Year everyone and may your January be amazing!