Outdoor Fun, Painted Shoes, and Games Galore!

Hey there!

I just got back from a little day trip with my family. 

My daughter made it to state vocal competition and sang at Baker University. That was only an hour from City Market in Kansas City which may be one of my new favorite places. My husband and I had been wanting to take the kids there, so today seemed like the perfect day.

So I'm linking up with some very random things for Five for Friday...a little school and a little real life. That's how it is this time of year as I count down the last 15 days of school!

(Yes, I am secretly counting down the days. And no,that does not make me a bad teacher. Just want to clarify after I recently read some nonsense about that.)

 

1

This week we used one of our I Have...Who Has...? games in small group. My kids love to play and wanted to teach our new friend who started with us on Monday. 

  

And because you may be needing some games or even a little HOTSHOTS to finish out the year, I decided we're having a TPT sale! Head on over to snag some things at 20% off now through Tuesday. 

2 

My daughter is playing softball...first time since 2nd grade. She's doing pretty good and has been alternating between catcher and 2nd base. 

 

My son and I watch from the concessions stand.

3

Speaking of my daughter...she's pretty artistic. In art class, she made herself a pair of Captain America: Civil War shoes--one Iron Man and one Captain America. Then she decided to make some for me! Love these!

 4

In an attempt to put new art supplies away in our teacher work room, I have began a major clean out process.

I can't even begin to describe it, but I think I will need to take some before and after photos...

Anyway, I found this grid paper. LOTS of grid paper. The high school math teachers were pretty excited about it and called dibs as soon as I sent out the picture. Ha! 

5

 Our brilliant first grade teacher took her kiddos outside to practice spelling this week. Now why didn't I think of that?

Maybe this week...

6

Ahem...too many photos? Who is this person who has taken over the blog post? 

Our kids are loving the newly painted four square box? areas? games? What do you call these things? 

7

Last one, I promise. 

My hubby is a car guy... He can fix any vehicles, but he definitely prefers Chevys and we have quite a few "project" cars which I call toys. Anyway, each time I've been to the City Market, I see this tag art and think I need to get it for him.

 Today was the day! 

If you like it, the company, KC Tag Art has a lot of choices and I think even does custom work. Check them out!

Okay, that's a wrap!

Hotshots, Whacky Watches, Counting Races and More!

Hey there! I hope you're having a great weekend.

I spent 6ish hours at the school today. Ugh! 

But I accomplished so much, I can't be too upset...

Dinner's in the oven, so I can finally prop my feet up and relax blog for a few minutes. ;-) I'm linking up with Doodlebugs again.

My students were rocking our HOTSHOTS this week. They were so excited that our "Number of the Day" is in the thousands now!

I am absolutely loving these this year! We only do them 2-3 times a week, so I've been able to jump ahead as needed for the skills we're working on. Seriously...my favorite thing Kristi and I have created.

 

 

Thanks to The Teacher Idea Factory we had counting races this week. Tons of great ideas in the post I've linked for whole group math games. Check it out!

We worked on telling time again. This time to the minute. These Whacky Watches were a hit (she has them to the 5 minute too)! My kiddos love using QR codes and I love that they can check their own work. ;-)

 

On Thursdays during Daily 5, I always try to allow some game time in my groups. This week we played "I Have...Who Has...?" I think we should be playing more! The kids love it. They become familiar with our sight words from our reading series. There really is no downside. I've got to make time to play it more often--especially for my lower groups. If you're looking for some games, we have plenty in our TPT store.

 

And finally, this is what awaited me this morning. I just had to get out of there yesterday...no focus...even if I did only have a few minutes before having to leave for our basketball game anyway.

I was able to get it all cleaned up (no pic, but I promise I did) and get all of my reading copies and plans done for the next six weeks. I also took a bunch of those online classes we have to do (think bullying, slips and falls, etc.), cleaned out my e-mail box, and made some parent phone calls!

 It feels good to be caught up!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Monday Made-It-Cat Litter Container Seat with Storage!!!

Thanks to all who stopped by our Facebook page this weekend for the 2nd grade Fan Freebie Blog Hop! It really was neat to check out all the great freebies being offered. Now remember...we told you that we wouldn't forget our firstie friends. So this freebie (for a limited time - now through 7/24/13***) is for you!

And it just might be perfect for the beginning of the year for 2nd graders too...

Click the picture to grab it quick!

 

Updated: You can get this game as part of our Super Sight Words Pack - 1st Grade edition, but it is no longer a freebie.

 Okay, on to Monday Made-It!

 

In my last blog, I told you how I wasn't very crafty and how I was trying to make something.  Well, I completed it and YAY!  it worked out.  It is not perfect by any means, but it worked out ok.  :-)  So today's Monday Made-It:

 

Cat Litter Container Seat with Storage!

 

I was inspired by Vanessa Levvin at Pre-K Pages to make my own type of seats for my reading table.  I love her crate seat that she made.  I have always thought these were really neat.  I started pricing it out and decided that I wanted to try to make it the least expensive I could (remember I just went to the Dollar Tree the other day and spent too much!  LOL!).  So, I started brainstorming of how I could make something like this with things that I already had here at home.

 

This is what I came up with:

1.  Cat litter containers-my mom runs a nonprofit cat rescue and has a lot of cats.  Therefore, she goes through a lot of cat litter containers.  HMMMMM....FREE containers!  :-)

 

2.  Cushion for the seats-I have been cleaning out a lot around my house and had a huge bag of clothes, sheets etc.  that I was going to get rid of and then thought I could use those as the cushion.  Another Free item.

 

3.  Spray paint-$.97 at Wal-Mart for the black gloss spray paint.  Total-About $6 for 6 seats.

 

4.  Cover-Vinyl Tablecloth at Wal-Mart for $5.97

 

5.  I had a staple gun at home

 

That is it!  So it cost me about $12 total to make 6 seats!  Here is what I started out with:

 

Sheets, Spray Paint, Cat litter Container, Vinyl Tablecloth, Staple gun (not shown)

 

Here is what I did to make the seats:

1.  Cut off the handles on the litter container

2.  Spray paint the container-I didn't do the inside or bottom of it.  I just decided to do the outside only.

3.  Cut your sheets/cloths to fit the lid.

4.  Cut the vinyl tablecloth so it is a little bit larger than the lid.

4.  Put the sheets/cloths on top of the lid and wrap the tablecloth around it.

5.  Staple the Tablecloth to the back of the lid.

 

That is it and you are done!

 

Here is the final product:

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Just take the cushioned lid off and there you have some storage. 
 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Monday Made-It and Theme Advice Please!

Well, I finally finished my teacher toolbox! 

I decided to go with one like Kristen's from Ladybug's Teacher Files. 

I found the same toolbox, spray painted it red, and used Kristen's free printable labels to finish it off. I like being able to see in the drawers and can't wait to get this to school and put it to use. I think it will be perfect since I got rid of my teacher desk this year!

 

I will *not* tell you how long it took this OCD gal to get the labels all hot-glued on perfectly straight and even. :-)

 

I was also busy making some things to go with the curriculum I will be using at my new school. We use Reading Street and this year I'm going to try doing a Reading Focus Wall.

 

I made posters of the weekly spelling words and amazing words.

 

 

A set for Unit 1 is a FREEBIE in our TPT store and TN store. I'll be working on the rest of the units soon!

 

I also made an "I have, Who has?" game for Unit 1 (TPT and TN). If you've followed us for very long, you know Kristi and I love these. I like having them for each unit (as well as specific sounds and skills). We start playing the first week of the unit so the kids become very fluent with the words by the end of our unit.

 

 

 

And...

I know, I know. I've been busy!

 

I made a Word Wall Pack (TPT and TN) too. This set includes all the high frequency/vocabulary words for the year, a set of headers, the months and days of the week, and one blank page with colorful borders so you can add your own words. I labeled each card with an abbreviation such as U1W1 to help me stay organized (remember OCD???).

 

 

 

Both the "I have, Who has?" game and the Word Wall Pack are on sale until Wednesday, so head on over and snatch them up at a discounted price if you like.

 

 

Okay, on to my theme dilemma. You may have noticed that I have fallen in love with this rainbow border from The 3AM Teacher. It is cute and fun without making me see $$$ when I think of printing! Maybe it is the former secretary in me, but some of the products I'm seeing for sale right now--while they are SUPER cute--make me have a little panic attack when I think of the cost of printing.

 

Anyway...the border inspired me to maybe just go with a "colorful classroom" this year. I have had a sports theme the last three years, but I am kind of tired of it.

So what is the problem, you ask???

 

My notebooks...I had a TEAM Playbook (think FROG Notebook, BEE Notebook, MOOSE Notebook, etc.) that each of my kiddos used to help them stay organized. If I go with a "colorful classroom," what could I call my notebook???

 

Suggestions?

 

Don't forget to head on over and link up with your Monday Made-It!

 

 

I HAVE, WHO HAS FREEBIE!!

I have started to look at the beginning of the year in our reading series and have started to make some things for our unit 1. I have added to our collection of I Have, Who Has on TPT. Our kiddos love these games and we have made quite a few of them. So, why not another one LOL! This one is to practice rhyming words.   You can grab it for free here.  If you enjoy it, don't forget to leave us some feedback! ;-)

Have a great day!!  Kristi :-)

Week 2 Weigh-In Day and Time to the Half-Hour...

Well, last week you may remember that I did not have anything teaching related to add to this post, but I saved something just for today! Hee hee! You will want to read to the end!

First, my progress for the week. After what I call a "cleansing" last week (cutting out a lot of sugar and carbs), this week I focused more on eating only when I was truly hungry and stopping when I was satisfied (instead of full). For me this weightloss challenge is more a refocusing than a diet. I'm not a fad dieter and I don't try things that I know are not going to be long-term in my life. Instead when the scale creeps up, I know I need to pay attention. I believe God designed us to know when we are hungry, when we are satisfied, and even what we should eat. Sometimes I just don't listen to my body!

***Disclaimer - These are just my opinions and beliefs. I know we are all different and there is special circumstances that can cause people to struggle with their weight.

Anyway, I have to say I was sweating it a bit yesterday thinking about posting my progress...I didn't know if I was going to show any loss, but I was excited to see that I had lost inches and weight.

Pounds Lost - 1 (for a total of 5.4 - or 45% of my goal)

**6 more weeks for 6.6 more pounds - I CAN DO IT!

Inches Lost - 2.5 (for a total of 5.5 - or 68% of my goal)

**Most of those 2.5 inches were from my thighs - WOOHOO!

On another note, my son is coming back from Silver State Baptist Youth Camp in Colorado today! Yeah!!! He called me on Wednesday to tell me he accepted Christ as his personal Savior. PRAISE THE LORD! I just wanted to reach through the phone and hug him! He called again yesterday feeling pretty homesick I think...they left on Saturday AM...we are so ready for him to be home!!

On to the teaching related part...Remember those requested I have, Who has? games. Well, I've been busy working on this:

I Have...Who Has...Time to the Hour and Half-Hour

The borders are from Graphics From the Pond and the clocks are from The 3AM Teacher. The pictures are a little blurry (not sure why), but I'm super pleased with how the game turned out!

The first 3 followers to comment WITH their email address will get this game for FREE!

Have a Happy Friday!

Crystal

A Confession and a Money FREEBIE!

Can we make a confession?

We were starting to feel like the "I Have, Who Has?" queens in our TPT and TN stores. We have made A LOT of the games to practice reading sight words, vowel sounds, consonant blends, etc. We were afraid we needed to put the brakes on and try something else (which we are doing and can't wait until they are finished so we can share).

...but then...

Can you guess what happened?

That's right! We had a request for more!

Are you kidding me?

No, there it is in the questions section of our TPT store. You can check it out for yourself if you don't believe me. :-)

So, Crystal got busy and came up with a FREEBIE!

Our math curriculum introduces the penny and nickel first, then we have some time before adding the dime and finally the quarter. We wanted a game to play as each coin is introduced. So check our store if you would also like the games including the dime and quarter.

The coin graphics are pictures of REAL money!  I love that Crystal was able to do this with the real money.  The coins seem to be a difficult skill for first grade and I think having the real deal is really going to help a lot!  Come check them out, I know that she spent a lot of time making sure that each coin was perfect (that is her perfectionism that comes out - LOL!).  If you don't know yet, Crystal is one that will work on something and never give up until it is PERFECT!!  I wish I had that in me - maybe she will rub off on me!

Thanks for all the congratulations on getting the teacher of the year award.  It was a very humbling experience.  I was very surprised when they announced my name and don't really believe that I deserve it. 

Anyways, I was wondering why Crystal was making such a big deal about me going and using the restroom during the awards ceremony.  I was thinking to myself, "What is her deal about me going to the bathroom?"  She continued to try to give me every excuse she could think of to keep me there, but in the long run it didn't work.  I made it to the restroom and luckily made it back to hear my name called. 

Yes, it is true that when my name was announced, I turned to Crystal and asked if I had to go up in front of all those people.  I am not one that likes to be the center of attention, so as I'm walking up I feel my stomach flipping and the sweat starting to run.  I made it through and I thought it was very nice of those that nominated me for this award.  I feel very blessed to be surrounded by people who I not only teach with but care about a lot!  

Hope all of you are enjoying summer so far if you are on break at this time.  If not, hang in there I'm sure it's just around the corner for you!  Have a great weekend! 

Kristi  

"Whoo, hoooo" and a FREEBIE!

“Whoooo, hoooooo!”

Aren’t these owls cute??? I found the idea on Pinterest here.

Last week, we worked on the ou/ow sound so we decided to make these cute owls for our Extra Fun Thing today! The kids had a blast making them. We painted then took a short extra recess for them to dry before gluing the eyes, nose, and wings on to them. Everyone that saw them complimented on how cute they were.

If you have visited our TPT store, you know that we have made a lot of I Have, Who Has games. We started with just our reading series (Treasures) sight words and then branched off to make some with the sounds that we work on in first grade. We just finished Unit 5 in our reading series and I had the Unit 5 words handy for the last five weeks. When we had a few minutes before recess or specials, I would hand out the cards and we would play. The kids love playing and started to master the words early on in the unit. We even started timing ourselves to see if we could get faster and faster. That really made them pay attention!  I have been working on some of the games that I will use at the beginning of the year next year and just finished the short a game. You can grab it for FREE here. If you enjoy it, don't forget to leave us some feedback! ;-)

I don’t know about you all, but this week has been LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG! Kristi says I shouldn’t complain because I was only here 2 ½ days (took off for my son's track meet and then a doctor's appointment) but it felt like so much more. The kids are really getting anxious for the end of school. We have 25 more days!

Have a blessed weekend! Rest up if you can!!!

Crystal

Spring Break, K-2 Linky Party, and a Freebie!

SPRING BREAK is finally here! We finished up parent teacher conferences yesterday and are now officially on break. In fact I slept in (until 8)and am sitting comfortably in my PJs as I write this. :-)

To celebrate Spring Break, Kristi and I wanted to direct you to one of our TPT product FREEBIES. It is great game that your kiddos will love AND they will be practicing the /oo/ digraphs!

Click here to grab it: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/I-Have-Who-Has-Game-vowel-digraphs-oo-and-oo 

We're linking up! Kindergarten Lifestyle is having a linky party to get links to all the awesome primary blogs in one place. Check it out at http://kindergartenlifestyle.blogspot.com/2012/03/kinder-2nd-linky-party-woot-woot.html

Hope you have a blessed day!

Crystal