Wow! It's August already!
Where did my summer break go?
I only have one more week and then I'm back full time!
Actually, I only have half a week because I have two days of workshops next week.
I don't know about you, but the "back to school" nightmares have already started. You know the ones! Where you have the class from...well you know where... and they are so unruly and you can't control them no matter what magical idea you pull out of your pocket. Ugh! I hate those! Do you get those too?
It's also time for Farley's Currently Linky Party.
Here goes mine...
I love the back to school must haves.
I have been obsessed with polka dots this summer. Especially black and white. I have found that I am using a lot of it in my color scheme this year. It is looking GREAT too!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Scotch Personal Laminator. It has really been a useful tool over the summer to help me prepare for next year and I am sure that I will be using it A LOT this school year.
Lastly, I MUST GO GET MY HAIR HIGHLIGHTED. For those of you who participated in my Guess My Age Birthday Giveaway, you know that I just turned 42. Well, let's just say that I'm currently a natural blonde with gray highlights. The other day someone asked me if I had my hair frosted because if so, it looked great!
I really just didn't know how to respond at that moment.
Now, I must say that gray hair does look beautiful on many women, including my mother; BUT I'M NOT READY YET!
So, I have made myself a hair appointment and my "frosty" look will be gone before the start of the school year.
So that is my Currently for August. Go link up and share your Currently with us.
Happy Blogging!
Ann
Friday, August 3, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Name Idea
Happy Saturday Everyone!
I'm happy today because I am going on vacation tomorrow!
"Where are you going, Mrs. Greene?"
I am taking my kids to the Happiest Place on Earth!
Yes, we are going to Disney World!
Every summer we go camping at Fort Wilderness for a week. Just me and the kids (Hubby has to work....awe, so sad!). We have a wonderful time every year and I always look forward to this special "mommy" time that I get to spend with them.
I always plan it just before the chaos begins! You know the chaos I am referring to.
BACK TO SCHOOL chaos!
Now back to school means one thing for kiddos, but it is an entirely different ball game for us teachers.
It means:
I'm happy today because I am going on vacation tomorrow!
"Where are you going, Mrs. Greene?"
I am taking my kids to the Happiest Place on Earth!
Yes, we are going to Disney World!
Every summer we go camping at Fort Wilderness for a week. Just me and the kids (Hubby has to work....awe, so sad!). We have a wonderful time every year and I always look forward to this special "mommy" time that I get to spend with them.
I always plan it just before the chaos begins! You know the chaos I am referring to.
BACK TO SCHOOL chaos!
Now back to school means one thing for kiddos, but it is an entirely different ball game for us teachers.
It means:
- Hours upon hours spent setting up our classroom, even working well beyond our scheduled work day and sometimes even working on Saturday and Sunday.
- Meeting, after meeting, after meeting, after meeting....oh, and let's throw in one more impromptu meeting.
- Too many trips to the Dollar Tree/Target/Walmart to get those items that we MUST HAVE, of course, spending our own money.
- Lesson planning, Lesson planning, Lesson planning!
- Meet The Teacher Day
- Coming home so physically exhausted that you drop your bags by the door and head straight to bed (No strength to read blogs, play on Pinterest or Facebook, or even feed your family. Thank goodness for drive thru's. I think they were invented just for teachers during pre-planning week!)
Yes, that insane wonderful chaos is right around the corner for me and probably for you as well.
So, at least for this next week, I am going to forget about ALL THAT CHAOS and play the role of MOMMY with my two littles.
Well, if you have stuck with me, I am finally going to reward you with a back to school name idea.
I was going through my hundreds of school photos from last year and deleting many that I don't need anymore (you know, freeing up some hard drive space). That's when I came across this little idea that I used last year and thought I would share it before I delete it.
This is my pocket chart center. It is one of those cheap clothes racks from Walmart. I think I spent a whopping $10 for it. The kiddos can pull it out and both sides have a pocket chart.
Each week I remove one of the pocket chart activities and replace it with a new one that goes along with my weekly theme.
At the beginning of the year I always read Brown Bear, Brown Bear to my students as we are learning about colors and senses. After reading it a few times, we learn to manipulate this pocket chart by replacing the blank spot with friends names. I find that these type of activities, using each others names, are perfect at the beginning of the school year. Not only do they learn to read each other's names but they build confidence/fluency in reading.
Anyway, that's it for today!
I am off to continue packing for our camping adventure. I'm looking forward to some "magical" fun with my kiddos at Fort Wilderness.
Happy Blogging!
Ann (a.k.a. MOMMY)
Friday, July 27, 2012
I'm Still a Newbie!
Janis over at Grade Three Is The Place For Me is hosting a linky party:
So, if you consider yourself a newbie...go link up!
Since I still think of myself as a newbie at this, I decided to link up.
So here goes...
1. What state you are in?
Florida
(The Sunshine State)
2. Your current teaching position:
Kindergarten
(But that could change...Shhh! It's a secret!)
3. Your teaching experience:
20 years
(It really doesn't seem that long.)
4. When you started blogging:
August 7, 2012
(I actually discovered the blogging world in June 2012.)
5. Share a blogging tip / blogging resource:
I love bloggers who make me laugh!
Happy Blogging!
Ann
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tell Me More
Hi all!
I am joining in on the fun! Mrs. Lemons over at Step Into Second Grade is hosting a linky party titled:
I am joining in on the fun! Mrs. Lemons over at Step Into Second Grade is hosting a linky party titled:
I decided I like the way Hadar (a fellow kindergarten teacher) presented her "extra" info, so I hope she doesn't mind, but I am going to alphabetize too.
Here goes:
A- Ann
Ann is actually my middle name. Most of my friends have called me this since second grade. My real name is Gay Ann. Add Greene to the end and that is me.... Gay Ann Greene. Say it three times fast and see what you get. It's pretty funny!
B- Beach
I love EVERYTHING about the beach! My home is decorated with beach decor and so is my classroom. THANK GOODNESS we live at the beach or I would be vacationing a lot! Oh! And when I do vacation....I prefer to go to the beach. Here is a pic of me...at the beach, of course!
C- Coffee
I LOVE COFFEE! I think that is an understatement! I get it from my Grandma Underwood. She drank a pot a day and she lived until she was 95 years old. Figure that one out?
D- Derek
That is my husband. He was my best friend in high school and we married when we were 20. We will be celebrating our 22 wedding anniversary this year! He is my ROCK!
E- Education
My bachelors degree is in Early Childhood Education and my masters degree is in Reading. I think that makes a great combination!
F- Friends
I think Friends was the best TV sitcom EVER! I wish they would come back and make a sitcom titled OLDER FRIENDS. I would probably watch it if it had the same cast. I think I will send NBC that recommendation. I am sure there are others of you out there who would agree with me. If so, we should start a petition!
G- Giving
My friends have always said that I am a very giving person. That I always want everyone else to be happy and often forget about myself. I get that from my dad! He was and still is the most giving man. He runs an assisted living facility in his home in Illinois. He has always been my hero!
H- Home
My husband and I have lived in the same home for almost 20 years. We bought it fresh out of college as a fixer upper. We have fixed it up alright! We have redone every room but one, the Great Room. It was the room that we fell in love with...it already had hardwood floors, cedar wood planked walls, high ceilings, and a fireplace. It still is my favorite room in the house.
I- Ice Cream
My favorite flavor of ice cream is vanilla. I know! I am very plain! But I like to add the flavors to the top like hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream and a cherry! Oh and don't forget the rainbow sprinkles. YUMMY! I think I see a visit to Dairy Queen later.
J- Jeans
If only I could, I would wear jeans EVERYDAY! I don't understand why jeans cannot be part of professional attire. Jeans can really be classy looking if you doll them up a bit.
K- Kids
The hubby and I have two wonderful kids! Alan (12), our boy, is so talented and handsome just like his daddy. He has taken piano lesson since he was four and still makes me cry when he plays. Abby (7), our girl, is beautiful and talented as well. She loves to sing and dance. She takes piano lessons as well and is becoming quite the pianist too! We finish our family out with our furry kid: Jo Jo. We rescued her from the humane society about a year ago. I am not a dog lover...but she was scheduled to meet her dooms day (I had an insider friend), and I just couldn't let that happen. So now, I am a single dog lover! She has brought me around, but I still don't like the hair or the smell (The poor thing get's bathed once a week, sometimes twice.). Here's a pic of the fam:
L- Laugh
I love to laugh! Do you know any good jokes? If so, please share.
M- Movies
My favorite movie of all time is Pride and Prejudice.
N- Neat
I am a "Neat Freak," otherwise known as OCD. I just like things to be clean and orderly. And yes, the pillows must be arranged correctly on my couch or I WILL stop and fix them. It's okay...it only takes a few seconds to do this. It doesn't bother me, if it doesn't bother you!
O- Osceola
That is the name of the elementary school that I have taught at for the past 15 years. I call it "My home away from home!" and everyone there is part of my "extended family." It is a great community school of about 500 students located one block from the beach. I bet you are JEALOUS! On quiet days, we can hear the roll of the surf.
P- Photography
Next to teaching, this is my second love! I have gone through many SLR, DSLR, and point and shoot cameras over the years. I keep all my older oneS on a shelf in my scrapbook room. Some still work, many don't! I truly believe that I wear them out with all my picture snapping. Quite a few years back, my hubby had to buy me an external hard drive to store all my photos. It was a T bite. Just recently, we had to buy a second one. Yes, the first one is full. Oh my! Here is one of my recent pics from a photo shoot that I was doing. No, I wasn't doing a photo shoot with a bee family. I just happened to notice a swarm of bees attacking some flowers near by and my adult ADD took hold of me.
Q- Quiet
When I was a little girl, I was extremely QUIET and shy. I really don't know what happened. That's all I have to say about that!
R- Reading
I love to read! And yes, I have read the Shades of Grey Trilogy. All I can say OMG and I am anticipating the movie. It might knock Pride and Prejudice off of the #1 spot of my all time favorite movie list.
S- Scrapbooking
I am an avid scrapbooker. I have been doing this hobby since 1993. I realized a few years ago that I had to go mostly digital when I discovered that I had scrapbooked so many pictures, my albums filled an entire closet of my house (and it's not a small closet either). On a side note, I love my scrapbook room. It is my second favorite room in my house.
T- Travel
I love to Travel! My hubby and I did a lot of traveling prior to kids and still do with our littles. We usually take 3-4 major trips a year, two of those with our kiddos and one or two without. Our trips with the kids are ones that they enjoy...I don't believe they would find the hubby and my vacation spots as interesting. We go to places where we can sit, relax, sip on an exotic drink, while we soak up nature's beauty.
U- Underwear
Nothing fancy here...Jockey brand, white or cream, bikini style, preferably all cotton.
V- Vacation
I just love summer break! Don't you? It is a great time to take my kids on several "mini" vacations. As a matter of fact, the kids and I are going on one next week. We are going camping. The MR can't go due to the nature of his business. He runs a rental stand on Daytona Beach. The summer is a busy time for him, so no vacation for him! I know! It sounds like a rough life...you have to go work at the beach everyday. Poor thing! (I hope you can hear the sarcasm in my voice...because I sure can in my head!)
W- Walt Disney World
We go there A LOT! We only live about an hour away and we have season passes. Even though we go all the time, amazingly, the Magic never goes away! How does Disney do it?
X-Xanax
I HATE to fly! It is pretty bad! All I can say, is thank you to the makers of this wonderful drug. It helps me to even consider getting on a plane.
Y- YUMMY
My favorite thing to eat is salad! You know...the healthy green stuff. When I go into a restaurant and they hand me the menu, I first go to the salad section to see if they have any interesting ones that I must try. I know I'm weird!
Z- Zimmerman
That was my maiden name. I always hated being the last one for everything when the teacher alphabetized. Therefore, If I have to alphabetize my kinders, I use their first names. However, I always feel sorry for the child named Zach or Zoe. Hey! Maybe that is why I named my children Alan and Abigail. Hee! Hee!
Well, that's it! That is the ABC's of me. I hope I didn't bore you.
Go link up and tell us more about you!
Happy Blogging!
Ann
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
I'm Back...With An Award
Hi all!
Company's gone so I am finally back to my normal summer routine of staying in my jammies until about noon while I consume at least a pot of coffee. And, of course, blogging and playing on Pinterest all the while!
I don't know about you, but it is going to be so difficult to give up this routine in a few weeks.
Anyway, while I was being an entertainer and taxi driver to my sister, her fiance, and her grandaughters, my little blog received an award.
Catherine over at Kinder Cuties awarded me the following:
Thank you, Catherine! It is so nice to be recognized.
If you are unfamiliar to this award, it is a blogging award that is given to newer blogs that have less than 200 followers. It is kind of an award to "welcome" them to the community.
So here is what you have to do if you receive this award:
1. Link back to the person who gave it to you.
2. Post the award to your blog.
Company's gone so I am finally back to my normal summer routine of staying in my jammies until about noon while I consume at least a pot of coffee. And, of course, blogging and playing on Pinterest all the while!
I don't know about you, but it is going to be so difficult to give up this routine in a few weeks.
Anyway, while I was being an entertainer and taxi driver to my sister, her fiance, and her grandaughters, my little blog received an award.
Catherine over at Kinder Cuties awarded me the following:
Thank you, Catherine! It is so nice to be recognized.
If you are unfamiliar to this award, it is a blogging award that is given to newer blogs that have less than 200 followers. It is kind of an award to "welcome" them to the community.
So here is what you have to do if you receive this award:
1. Link back to the person who gave it to you.
2. Post the award to your blog.
3. Give the award to at least 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers.
4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have been offered this award.
So, here are five "newbies" that I feel deserve this honor:
1. Sunshine, Sand, and Scissors
2. Co-Kindering
3. Coloring Books and Funny Looks
4. Creating Kinders
5. Joy of Kindergarten
So go check out these newer blogging buddies! Tell them I sent ya!
Until next time, Happy Blogging!
Ann
2. Co-Kindering
3. Coloring Books and Funny Looks
4. Creating Kinders
5. Joy of Kindergarten
So go check out these newer blogging buddies! Tell them I sent ya!
Until next time, Happy Blogging!
Ann
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Teacher Tip Thursday
Hello Bloggers!
Sorry I have been on hiatus. My sister and her granddaughters are visiting and I am playing entertainer and taxi driver right now. I am loving it because the little ones have never been to Florida before. So we are taking them to so many wonderful places. You should have seen their faces when they tasted salt water for the first time yesterday while at the beach. Yes, I had my camera ready! It was priceless!
That's enough about me, now onto my tip for today.
How many of you are ADDICTED to pinterest?
I know I am!
I am on there several times a day pinning this and pinning that! I am pinning so much you would think I were a seamstress!
Do you ever feel like you pin so much that you forgot what you pinned?
Or, how about you found this awesome pin and you said to yourself "I SO WANT TO MAKE THAT!" but then you forgot about it and now you are asking yourself "WHICH FOLDER DID I PUT THAT AWESOME IDEA IN?"
I hope you feel like this too, or maybe I am just getting old and losing my memory. If that is the case, please let me know so I can go see the doctor right away!
Anyway, I am always forgetting about my pins.
I finally found something that works for me and it is so simple that maybe you already do this too, but I am going to share anyway.
When I find a pin that is something that I want to make, I simply follow these steps:
Sorry I have been on hiatus. My sister and her granddaughters are visiting and I am playing entertainer and taxi driver right now. I am loving it because the little ones have never been to Florida before. So we are taking them to so many wonderful places. You should have seen their faces when they tasted salt water for the first time yesterday while at the beach. Yes, I had my camera ready! It was priceless!
That's enough about me, now onto my tip for today.
How many of you are ADDICTED to pinterest?
I know I am!
I am on there several times a day pinning this and pinning that! I am pinning so much you would think I were a seamstress!
Do you ever feel like you pin so much that you forgot what you pinned?
Or, how about you found this awesome pin and you said to yourself "I SO WANT TO MAKE THAT!" but then you forgot about it and now you are asking yourself "WHICH FOLDER DID I PUT THAT AWESOME IDEA IN?"
I hope you feel like this too, or maybe I am just getting old and losing my memory. If that is the case, please let me know so I can go see the doctor right away!
Anyway, I am always forgetting about my pins.
I finally found something that works for me and it is so simple that maybe you already do this too, but I am going to share anyway.
When I find a pin that is something that I want to make, I simply follow these steps:
- right click on the image
- click on "save image as"
- and then save it to my desktop
Now I have all those wonderful pins as a small image on my desktop and I remember to actually make it. No more forgetting!
I figure, if I get too many images on my desktop, I will make a desktop file folder that says "Make These Pins" or something of that nature.
Well, that's it!
That's my tip for today.
Now I'm off to taxi my girls to Marineland. We are going to play with dolphins today! Fun!
Happy Blogging!
Ann
Monday, July 16, 2012
Made it Monday
It's Monday, so I am joining up with 4th Grade Frolics to showcase what I made this week.
So I got to work, wrapping tape around the boards and then added a bow at the top. Here is how they turned out.
These were simply adding the ribbon to fancy them up a bit. Nothing major!
Again, I think they will work out fine this year and I love the colors! Doesn't ribbon make anything look like you spent a million bucks.
Lastly, I am very proud of my table signs. I blogged about them on my Saturday post, but in case you missed it, here is an image of them:
On Tuesday, I was able to do a little retail therapy. During that outing I got some cheap clipboards from dollar tree (five of them @ $1.00 each) and some decorative duct tape from Michael's (on sale 2 rolls for $7.00).
So I got to work, wrapping tape around the boards and then added a bow at the top. Here is how they turned out.
I think they turned out great! Isn't the duct tape very beachy? I can't wait for the kiddos to use them in the classroom.
Next up, my table supply baskets. I finally found some at the Dollar Tree (4 @$1.00 each) and got some ribbon at Hobby Lobby (2 rolls at $1.99 each).
These were simply adding the ribbon to fancy them up a bit. Nothing major!
Lastly, I am very proud of my table signs. I blogged about them on my Saturday post, but in case you missed it, here is an image of them:
These were the best find yet! Only a $1.00 at the Dollar Tree. They had them in hot pink and blue. They had luau images to be attached but I just made my own images. I can't wait to hang them in my classroom. As a matter of fact, I have to stop by school today to drop off some of my retail therapy finds (my pile is getting mammoth), so I may just take a few minutes to hang them.
So what have you been making? Go link up and share.
Happy Blogging!
Ann
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)










