Currently

I can't believe it is finally here....October! The start of my favorite season....FALL! Cool weather, crisp mornings, scarves and boots here I come!!!!

The kids are in bed and the hubs and I are catching up with Top Chef DUELS. Love me a little Curtis! 

Fall. is. my. favorite. season of all! I am so excited that the weather will soon be getting cooler. It means I get to do a wardrobe switch. Jeans, boots and scarves here I come!

October is just plain long. There are no holidays to break up the month. I have parent conferences, district assessments, prep for report cards...aahhhh! Thanksgiving break cannot come soon enough after all that!

I hope to start decorating for Halloween this weekend! The hubs is not a fan of decorations of any kind. I have negotiated, over the years, for certain times of the year to be void of decorating complaints from him. October 1st-31st is my time to go all out for Halloween. I need to get crackin'!

I am not sure why, but I have the hardest time making an appointment to get my hair done. Every time I think about it, something comes up or I say "next weekend". Well, next weekend it is ! I have to get it done!

TRICK: Use paint sticks for students to hold their book spot in your classroom library. It helps keep your library organized and books in the right place. I give each student a class number so I can use the sticks over and over each year and they can easily keep track of where their books belong.

Head on over and visit Farley and link up and share what you are up to currently!

Currently April

Poof! Another month is gone! Every time I sit down to write a Currently, I am in utter shock another month has gone by so quickly! However, I am a bit excited for April... One step closer to Spring break, summer vacay and most importantly, baseball season has started!

Here is what I am up to:

1. Our house is WAY to quiet right now. I think I need to turn the TV on for background noise. 

2. So happy baseball season has officially begun! We are a baseball lovin' family, so April is a very happy month for all of us. Go Dodgers! GO CUBS! (have to root for both)

3. We don't have state testing in 2nd grade this year because our tests are being switched to align to Common Core. They are also going to be online only. So, our baseline is for 3rd through 5th grade only. Good for me, not so good for upper grade teachers. Our district is not ready to go to full online testing, but of course, we are doing it anyway. I feel so bad for those little kiddos.

4. Spring Break cannot come soon enough, my friends. I still have 2 weeks before I can potentially sleep in. I. NEED. A. BREAK! 

5. My heart is so sad. We had to put our beautiful 12 year old lab down yesterday. It was one of the most difficult things I have had to do. My boys don't know life without her. Our house is not the same. Time heals all things, but right now it is hard to imagine our life without her in it each day.

6. My school day is 7:30 to 2:30. But we all know the day is much longer that our "official" hours. The kids day is 8:00 to 2:08. We get out for the summer on June 6th!

Make sure to head on over and link up and share what you are up to "currently" too!

October Currently, Candy Corn Place Value and a Giveaway!

Holy smokes! It's finally here...one of my favorite times of year....OCTOBER! I am linking up with Farley to share this month's Currently with you.

My house is empty at the moment. Everyone is at sports practice. It is a little strange actually. I am not sure what to do with myself. 

I LOVE Fall and everything about fall. It is still a little warm here. But I am SO looking forward to bustin' out my boots and scarves soon.

I just found out Starbucks has brought back their salted caramel mochas!! That brought a smile to my lips. I must get one NOW.

I can't wait for the leaves to start changing colors and the cool weather to arrive. It is such a beautiful time of year. 

I am in the middle of parent conferences right now. As much as I like meeting all the parents, it is so exhausting. I can't wait until Friday afternoon!

Here is a special TREAT for all of you. I am part of an incredible giveaway over at Table Talk with C & C. They are hosting a Best Seller Math Linky and Giveaway. Head on over and check out all the great math prizes. If you win, you will get my best selling Measuring Up unit!

I wanted to share a fun place value activity I did with my kiddos today. I got the idea, last year, from First Grade Wow. 

We are currently working on place value to 100, but I have some math whizzes. So, I kicked it up a notch and some of the kids chose numbers up to 1000. I gave them the choice. If they felt comfortable, they could choose a larger number than 100. They loved tracing over their work with a black felt tip marker. That is a special treat for them! Enjoy!

Make sure to link up with Farley and let us all know what you are currently up to for October! 

April Currently and Earth Day Love Giveaway

Oh my goodness... Could it be.... April already???? It is so, I checked my calendar and there it was- in black and white-April 1st! WOW! I am linking up with Farley for this month's Currently.

1. My  boys are at my mom's getting in some "nana" time and my house is super quiet. All I hear is the beautiful sound of my sweet Labrador sawing logs. Love it!

2.I have completely enjoyed the time with my boys this last week. We got to spend a ton of quality time together and that makes my heart melt.

3. Today is my last day of Spring Break and I am sad :(

4. We start State testing in 2 weeks and I want my kids to feel super confident. As soon a school starts back up tomorrow, it is REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!

5. With Spring, comes warmer weather. And that also means, I need to go shopping for some bright colored spring clothing.

6. When it comes to blogging, I believe, if you write from your heart and write about what you are proud of, it will shine through and people will know how much you love what you do.

I just posted a new unit that I am really excited about: Earth Day LOVE! It is a packet filled with activities, centers and a writing craftivity. 

I have it discounted in my TpT store for the next couple days. I am going to give ONE lucky follower a copy of my new unit. Just make sure to be a follower of my blog and leave a comment below. I will choose a random winner on Thursday evening to receive a copy.

Make sure to head on over and link up with Farley for this month's Currently. I can't wait to read what you are all up to!

March Currently-seriously??!!

Shock and awe is taking place over at my house! Is it really MARCH already??? OK, I know February was only 28 days, but really??? IT"S MARCH!!! That means it is CURRENTLY time... I am linking up this month with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for this fabulous linky. Here is what is going on with me currently:

LISTENING:  So as I type away, catching up on blogging and classroom plans, my boys are playing XBOX. I am sure the rest of the childless world is sleeping, but that is not the case here :)

LOVING: The 85 degree weather here! It is so nice to get a sneak peek into what our Spring might be like. It won't last long, but it is so nice to have, if even for a short time. I think I even got a little sunburned yesterday at the baseball field.

THINKING: Thank the heavens above, my report cards are DONE! They were put in the mail on Friday!!

WANTING: This may sound silly, but I need to order new makeup. I don't know why this is even remotely difficult because I just go online to get it. BUT I think I want something new, so I might actually have to go into a store first!!!

NEEDING: I need new shoes!! Once I find a pair I like, I wear them to the bone. By the time that happens, they usually don't make the same shoe anymore and I have to go hunting again. So, shoe shopping here I come

LIKE, LOVE, HATE: This was a hard one for me. Thinking of words that start with "J" was not a simple task. 

LIKE: Jello- Yes, I like it. I don't love it, but it starts with "J" :)   

LOVE: Jewelry: What girl doesn't LOVE jewelry? I don't change my jewelry ever! But what I wear, I LOVE.

HATE:  I HATE jogging. Yes, I know it is good for me. Yes, I know I should do it often. BUT, I just find it boring and repetitive and ....Yuck! 

Head on over and link up this month. I can't wait to see what everyone is doing CURRENTLY!

February Currently

I am linking up with Farley for this month's Currently! Seriously??? We are already in month 2 of 2013??? That's just crazy talk.... Where did the month go? Since it is officially February, here is my Currently.

1. Today was the only day the whole family could sleep in this weekend and we were all up at 6:45!! What??? Why??? No answer. So the hubs was my hero and went into the kitchen to fire up the espresso maker. And now I am a happy wifey with my liquid jolt!

2. Tonight the hubs and I get a night out with some dear friends of ours. Grandma is coming over to watch the kids and the parents are going out to play!! 

3.This weekend is PACKED! Between errands, birthday parties, baseball practice and the Super Bowl, I am not sure how we are going to fit it all in.

4. The weather has been so beautiful and warm the last couple of days. I woke up today and there are clouds. Grey, overcast clouds. Yuck! Bring on more sun.

5. I FINALLY have an appointment to get my hair done. Don't ask me why, but I always put off my hair appointment. It just seems so hard to set aside 2-3 hours on the weekend, so I always put it off as long as possible. I can't wait to get beautifide today.

6. People that aren't honest drive me c-r-a-z-y! Whether it is my own kids, my students or peers-just tell the truth PEOPLE! 

I am also having a SUPER sale in my TpT store Saturday and Sunday. Everything is 20% off. Myself along with many other amazing bloggers are joining this sale. So empty those wishlists into your shopping carts and save! 

December Currently- OH MY!

The last month of the year-REALLY???? Unbelievable! Where has the time gone? I am linking up with Farley for this month's Currently.

Thinking about people and showing appreciation for them when they least expect it is the best form of flattery sometimes. There is a teacher at my school who anonymously leaves sweet gifts in people's boxes for no reason every once in awhile throughout the school year. When she "hits" me, I always know its her and quietly thank her. She never says anything-just a big smile. I love that! I want to do the same thing for different staff members too. Just a little something to lift the spirits. So many crazy things are happening in our school district. Morale is in the toilet to put it mildly. I think letting my colleagues know they are appreciated will help put a spring in their step even if it is just for a brief moment in time. 

Link up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade and share your Random Acts of Kindness. I can't wait to read all of them!

November Currently and Blogger Shout Out

It is mind boggling to think that November has already arrived! This school year is flying by at lightning speed. I was taking down all the Halloween related items in my classroom today and started getting ready for all the Thanksgiving love that will be surrounding us this month.

A new month, means a new Currently from Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade. So here is what is going on in my world currently:

I feel like this week was crazy busy with Halloween and all, but it also seemed soooo long! I can't wait for the weekend. However, I must say, my weekends are usually busier than my weekdays. The thing that makes them great, as that my family is together and we get to be super busy as a family!!!

So, I need more time in the day (I guess I will get an extra hour this weekend with Daylight Savings but I don't think that will solve my problem) and I desperately need a kitchen remodel. I don't know about any of you, by my kitchen is in dyer need of an overhaul. I always hope in the back of my mind that I will run into some TV show at Home Depot looking for a desperate couple to have their kitchen remodeled.That would be me shouting- I need your help!!! Don't think it will be happening any time soon, but a girl can dream and consistently complain to her husband about it, right???

I want to give a big shout out and thank you to Lisa at Learning is Something to Treasure. Lisa featured my blog on her Fabulous Friday Blogger spotlight this week. She is an amazing lady who is so supportive and generous. I was lucky enough to just win a copy of her Duck for President Unit. If you haven't seen it, you need to check it out. It is perfect for this coming election week!

I can't wait to check out everyone's Currently this month. Make sure to link up.

October Currently

It's finally here....the October Currently! I am linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for this month's currently.

1. I am sure many of us are listening to the same thing tonight. I think it is so important to be informed and to make an educated vote, so this debate is essential tonight.

2. OMG!!! I can't believe it, but I can officially say I have my own laminator! I have been talking about this for months and my mom surprised me at work today with a laminator! Our laminator at school has been broken since the beginning of the year and is not going to be fixed anytime soon. I have been giving my mom all the things I need laminated so she could take it to Lakeshore to get it done. (I know, I have an awesome mom! I agree!). Well, she dropped off the things I needed laminated as well as a Lakeshore laminator! Yes folks, Christmas has arrived early! Thank you, Mom!

3. For years, my team partner and I have tried to figure out how to implement a reading intervention program that worked for all of our students. I think we figured it out finally. You can read about it here. It ROCKS!

4. I love Fall! It is one of my favorite seasons. I just don't happen to live in a place where fall starts at the end of September. It has been over 100 degrees everyday this week. It needs to end! Time for some cool weather, PLEASE! I want to wear my jeans, boots and sweaters. 

5. There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done! Enough said!

6. I just read this book to my kiddos this week. They love it and it gets us all excited for Halloween.

I can't wait to read everyone's Currently for the month. Stop on by and link up!

September Currently

It's hard to believe it is September already! It seems like yesterday that summer was just starting. I am linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for this month's Currently.

How many times have you had a long weekend and think to yourself, if only the work week went by this quickly? I love these long weekends but I always seem to need more time.

I love long, warm summer nights. So I think we are going to have a little BBQ and swimming going on over at our casa today. Sounds like a good way to culminate summer to me!

If a little BBQ is going to happen today, I better get the family to help me pick up and organize this house. It's a mess!

The strap on my school bag broke this week. Saturday I went to Target for some other things and of course found this:

Love it! I think it will be a great replacement. It has tons of pockets and zippered compartments. I can't wait to read everyone's Currently this month. Make sure to stop by and link up!

Pen Pals and August Currently

I remember as a little kid, having a pen pal that lived in New Jersey. We wrote letters and sent pictures to one another for a couple of years. I would get so excited when the mailman would deliver her letters.   Last year I paired up with my son's second grade teacher, at another school, so the kids could have pen pals and practice their letter writing. The kids LOVED it and could not get the letters back fast enough! We sent pictures and little gifts to the class when we delivered the letters.So, when I saw this opportunity pop up for my class, I had to jump on it! I am SO excited to be joining Kelley at the Teacher Idea Factory for her pen pal pairing! She has been kind enough to let everyone who is interested, sign up by Sunday, August 12th, and then she will pair you up with another class for the year. Click on the picture below to take you to her post about signing up.



The brilliant Kelley has also created an awesome Pen Pal packet with ideas on how to get started writing letters and some great ideas to keep it fun for the kids. The packet is on sale at her TpT store through the weekend. I am grabbing my copy today!

 I am linking up with Farley at Oh! Boy Fourth Grade for this month's currently. I hear it is:

Have a great weekend everyone! I will be posting classroom pictures next week! 

July Currently

I am linking up with Farley over at Oh! Boy 4th Grade. Click on the image above to link up. Happy July Everyone! 

Also, don't forget to check out my July 4th Sale I have running for the next few days. Everything is 20% off in my TpT store and TN store! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

It's June...Currently

Since my blog is rather new, I have never posted a Currently before. I hope I am doing it correctly. I'm not sure I uploaded it the correct way, but I hope I get some feedback if there is a better way of doing it.

So, currently my dog is snoring at my feet (I love that sound). I am also really loving that both my boys are asleep and snoring too! I know I am going to have a hard time saying good bye to my current students. I have become attached to them over the last 2 years believe it or not. I would really like my summer to start. Only 8 more school days to go. I am having a family birthday celebration for my youngest son this weekend and really need to get to that organized. As far as trips/places to visit go... I would love to go to Italy or any part of Europe for that matter since I have never been. I went skiing in Mammoth this winter with my family and I would love to go back to Napa with my hubby for a weekend get away. Looking forward to Friday...weekend here I come!