I RECOMMEND FRIDAYS!

"...It's Friday night in America...Friday night in America...You can bet it's Friday night in America!..." ~ New Grass Revival

I love Fridays.  There is just something about finishing a work week...not that we are really ever done working but there is just something fun about the night.  There is nothing better in the world than heading out for a Friday fish fry in Wisconsin, having a glass of wine, and just taking a deep breath..thank you Lord for helping me through the week!  I had an idea to call my Friday blogs I Recommend Fridays.  I'm hoping to "recommend" a few things:  something I've read or seen, a thought I had, a fabulous idea or blogspot so here goes:

 RECOMMENDATION #1   Mutts by Patrick O'Donnell

I do lots of Mutts writing in my classroom.  Go to www.muttscomics.com and hitch up with some freebies that Patrick has.  It's a great, clean, fun cartoon with lots of purpose and meaning.  It helps my students do some amazing creative writing.  They get so attached to the crazy "stuff" that main characters Mooch and Earl do (Mooch is the cat; Earl the dog.)  Don't miss Mutts in the comic section of your Sunday paper.





RECOMMENDATION #2  Kindred Souls by Patricia MacLachlan 
What a tender book about a little grandpa, Billy, and his grandson Jake and the bond between them.  Death is told in a tender, child like way in this great childrens read.  It also hits upon sod houses; the wish of grandpa Billy to have a sod house again, the kind he grew up in, and Jake who hopes to make that wish come true for his grandpa.  It got me looking up sod houses and perhaps making replicas for my pioneer unit...hmmmm.....

RECOMMENDATION #3  www.heathersfirstgrade.blogspot.com



 Ok, I'll admit that I'm behind the times but when I went on my new friend Heather's blog spot I absolutely loved it...so many neat, fun ideas.  In fact, my first grade friend Annette and I spent some lunch time today talking about this fabo blogspot.  She has tons of followers and I'm happy to say that she's following me, too!!  Thanks Heather!  If you haven't checked it out please do!

Well, again friends, thanks for following my little blog.  Thanks to all my new friends.  I'm thinking about having an interesting 'lil old give away myself one of these days...stay tuned...Happy Friday!

Hit the Ground Running After the Truth

"...I'd hit the ground I'd hit the ground runnin' I know exactly what I'd do. I'd hit the ground
I'd hit the ground runnin' I'd hit the ground runnin' after you (the truth!)..."
~Keith Urban

Ahhh, yes, what a good run does to my heart and soul.  I'm not sure about all you runners out there but when I hit the pavement and after that first crazy mile where I question 1)  why am I doing this AGAIN, 2) What did I eat...ahhh yes...that bacon and eggs breakfast and 3) If I don't do well with my first mile I'm gonna call it quits...after all that "stuff" fills and leaves my head I start thinking.  I problem solve, I pray and think, and of course I create.  Today's freebie was from one of those hot, sweaty, bacon and eggs for breakfast kinds of runs.  When I got home I jotted down most of the thoughts I have in my free lesson.  I call them Third Grade Truths, although they are "truths" that we all should be reminded of.  The lesson is an on-going lesson where I hang a new truth up in my classroom or outside my door perhaps once each week.  This might be a great way to start a morning with your morning routine; might be a great writing prompt or just good conversation.  I actually have to remind myself of these truths sometimes.  Please go to the link provided and download a freebie!  It might just be worth your while.  If you want me to do any changes or add-ons please feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to do so.  Thank you for making my first week of blogging such a great adventure.  I appreciate all of you!!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Third-Grade-Truths

Follow the Yellow Brick Road...

...We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way.
Gloria Gaither
What a glorious day today was.  It was one of those days when the things you couldn't imagine happening happened.  I heard from people today that I thought about calling, talked with all three of my fabulous children, spent some time in quiet reflection, took a day trip with a truly wonderful, inspiring, beautiful soul AND finished one of my projects that has been on my to do list since forever!  I love days like today and if I hadn't experienced the frustrations of yesterday I for sure wouldn't feel this gitty about today.  There really is a lesson in that!

Please take a peek at my latest creation Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Parts of Speech on my TpT site. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Follow-the-Yellow-Brick-Road-to-Parts-of-Speech

Happiness...

"...Happiness will never come to those who don't appreciate what they already have..."

I'm not sure about you new friends but it seems the more time I've been given the more behind I become. I'm not quite sure why but without a schedule I guess I think I somehow have more time.  This is the first summer in 8 years that I'm not teaching summer school.  Today was going to be one of those days when I got lots of loose ends tied up.  I have so many "irons in the fire."  I have two lessons almost complete to show and give, some brand new, fabuloso milk crate seats I've been creating thanks to my Pinterest friends, new tables ordered for my classroom...yuppers...away with my old cruddy desks (yup I'm so thankful for them but oh boy do they have to go) a grad class I'm MORE than excited to be taking coming up really soon...and oh yeah...a brand new laptop that I am MORE than thankful for but like all technology is giving me fits.  To sum up all that blah, blah, blah, I didn't get anything complete today.  I promise that by the end of the week I will have a freebie that I thought about when I was running the other day and of course that lesson that I promised would be done today using my Melonheadz Illustrating friends Oz graphics.  In spite of not getting much done and feeling kind of like a big ole loser I am grateful for all that I have, all I've been given, all of my dreams that just might come true, my health, my fabulous new friends, and all the things that I have that don't even cross my mind as being gifts.  Thanks for reading...stay tuned...my newbies are coming...REALLY!!

"...Cause when push comes to shove you taste what you're made of. You might bend till you break cause it's all you can take. On your knees you look up, decide you've had enough.  You get mad you get strong, wipe your hands shake it off, then you Stand..." Rascal Flatts


And so begins my first ever blog and my first ever posting.  I would love to thank my true blue friends at Honey Bunch Blog design (www.honeybunchblogdesign.blogspot.com)  and my Nikki friend at Melonheadz Illustrating (www.melonheadzillustrating.blogspot.com) for helping me with all the "stuff" necessary for such a fabuloso blog design.  People are sent to our lives for various reasons and I am humbled and in awe of their fabulous work and their generous spirits.  Thank you for making my dreams come true ladies.  I look forward to spreading positive news, great ideas, zany dreams, and beautiful quotes.