August Currently

Hi Friends!

I'm a few days behind but I still wanted to make sure I linked up with Farley's Linky before it was too late!

My sister went back to school today so I get to spend the last bit of my summer with my two nieces!  Today they helped me finish a few things in my classroom...and they were a huge help!  They're playing house right now and as I wrote above, they're married...and now one just had a baby!  Have you ever just listened to kids play house?  I should really have started recording this!  It's like a really bad soap opera!

While we were at school today I finished putting away all of my piles.  MOST of them are where they need to be but some were just stashed in my supply closet.  I'll admit it.  That closet needs a total make-over anyway and if there's time before school starts I'll do it but for right now everything is tucked inside....out of sight to everyone but me!

Now that my room is mostly set up I have list a mile long of labels I need to make for my classroom...our library, journals, supplies, cubbies, etc. 

I'm wanting a personal assistant.  I think we all should have one...for obvious reasons.

I'm really needing my achilles tendon to heal.  I started to push myself to run further distances this summer just to see if I could do it.  I got up to 5 miles for a couple of runs and that's when things started to hurt a bit.  I swear I hobble around like an old lady until things get moving and then it doesn't hurt as bad but whew!  It's a doozie right now.  Of course all of the climbing up and down ladders, chairs and tables to set up my room hasn't probably been the best for me either.  Ugh!

My first official day of school is Tuesday, August 19.  We have one day of district meetings, one day of building level meetings and the third day is our day to spend in our rooms.  Our Open House is Wednesday, August 20.  My new first graders come on Monday, August 25!  

It will be here before I know it!

Take care!

July Currently

Happy July!  I'm linking up with Farley's monthly linky!

I think a new washer and dryer are in my future.  They both are making a sound that I haven't heard before.

I am loving these slow summer mornings.  I actually cherish them.  During the school year, it's always rush, rush, rush for me in the mornings.  During the summer my sister and I wake up before the sun and go for a run, and although I don't love rolling out of bed that early...and it's not always pretty, I do feel like I get a ton accomplished in the morning before we head to the pool or Soak City.

I am not a TV Talk Show kind of girl, but I have started catching a few episodes of Oprah's Super Soul Sunday series after church on Sunday mornings.  Sometimes, it's just background noise for me while I'm reading the paper, but sometimes the people she has on kind of inspire me.  I love how she can sit under an enormous oak tree with beautiful furniture...and not one bird, bug or other living thing makes their presence known in an inappropriate manner during the whole episode!  Anyway, there was an episode on with a husband and wife who lost their child in the Sandy Hook shooting...broke my heart, but their strength and faith astounded me.  Last week I caught an episode where Oprah interviewed Steven Pressfield who was talking about his book, The War of Art~ Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles.  I just started reading it but it's already making me think differently.  I love when that happens.

I'm wanting a home makeover...wouldn't that be fun?

My need...has a little to do with Steven Pressfield's book...a little to do with my community...a little to do with my future...and a lot to do with life in general.  Ha!  I bet that cleared some things up!

Plans for the 4th...a good old family picnic with some relatives I haven't seen in awhile and taking my 94 year old grandmother to Cedar Point to see the fireworks with the family.

I'm off to link up and meet some new blogging friends!  I've been a little out of the loop during the school year as far as blogging goes...thank God for summer and extra time to catch up!

Have a great day!

September Currently

Confession...
I actually typed this up yesterday morning, but because I already posted about my color activities, I decided to save this post until today.  AND...because it's already done, all I had to do was publish it this morning before I left for school!

So, I'm joining in on the fun of Farley's September Currently!

I don't know if I really have to explain too much, but here it goes....

Pirates of the Carribbean was on TBS and I couldn't help but wish there was a G-Rated Pirates movie made by Disney (that wasn't animated).  Jake and the Neverland Pirates is too young for us but I think they would like Peter Pan...but remember Blackbeard's Ghost?  I wonder if that's still available somewhere??

I'm loving my extra day off this week!  A full week of school for the first week can be a bit of a shock to our systems...especially with the heat and humidity.  Several grade levels in our district have staggered starts which would really help, but whenever we ask for First Grade to have a staggered start, we're denied.  It would be so much easier to get all of those assessments done if I only worried about 6 or so kiddos a day!

We're doing "After Hours Social Hour" this year for our families.  We're inviting our families into our classrooms just once a month to showcase the learning that's happening.  Our first one has a Superhero theme so I'm reading some books and trying to sketch out some ideas.  (Is Super Hero one or two words?  Every time I type it, I think differently.)

Due to this...I am wanting some superpowers (again...a compound word?) to help me get everything done...or maybe just the power to clone myself to be in more than one place at a time.

I'm needing this humid weather to depart for good!  I'm really tired of feeling the drips of sweat down my back and trying not to stick to my new kiddos when they come in for a hug!

Things I would love to accomplish this month...

• I need to get myself back to where/what I was before summer.  I'm feeling funky...and I know what I need to do to fix it...I'm just lacking that motivation.
• I need to start running again...we've been walking, but I think I've secretly been craving my early morning runs with my sister...although she's always ahead of me.  And...it's not pretty at. all. I'm definitely not the one that jumps out of bed @ 5:30 to go and run.  I have to sometimes talk myself through those three miles..."Okay Jenn, go to the next stop sign, okay, the next light post, the next mailbox, the next driveway, one more step..." but when I'm done I do feel kind of proud of myself and my head is always more in "the game".  
• I'm feeling a little uncertain about everything lately...I'm needing to pick myself up and really be an advocate for my students...and myself.

Ready to bring on this 4 day week?

Have a good one!