Fun for Me & Giveaways for You!

Yesterday was so beautiful!  Some people might have thought it was a bit chilly.  But not me!  It was perfect.  I have been kinda stressed lately, so I decided to take the day off from school stuff.  Believe me I truly needed it!!!!  We went out to our land and drove around on our Mule (Kawasaki).  We took our black lab (Shadow) with us and I don't think she enjoyed it too much though.  :-(    It was a bumpy ride but it was soooo relaxing!!!!  We hired someone to bulldoze trees in our pasture  and so there are trees down everywhere!  Here are just a few things we saw along our journey

• Deer
• Squirrel
• Snake (eek!!!!)
• Turtle Shell (it was huge!)
• Turtles 
• Grasshoppers (lots & lots)
• Buzzard
• Ants (that had created a super long highway)
• Raccoon tracks
• Butterflies
• Duck
• Geese
• Pecan Trees (LOADED with Pecans!!!!)

A perfectly relaxing day!  I definitely needed it!   How about you??? How have you relaxed lately???

Today I found a couple of giveaways that I think you will want to check out.  Click on the pictures below to find yourself magically taken to their blogs.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend & don't forget to do something fun!

Just Wild About Teaching:

What Happened in First:

Fun in 1st Grade:

Creation Castle: 

Do You Have A Bully Teacher At Your School?

I do not like teacher bullies!

I do not like them here...or there.

I do not like them anywhere!!!

Have you ever had a teacher walk into your classroom (as your getting ready to give your students a diagnostic reading test)

Proceed to walk over to your reading table as if it were her own classroom....

Grab the TEST off your table (and tell you that she needs the test because she doesn't have enough for her students)

Then... turn around and walk out of your classroom.

Leaving you standing there in total shock...because she took the tests that YOU NEEDED and walked right out the door with them in her arms!  

UN...BE...LIEV...ABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shocking isn't it?   Who does that kinda stuff to their coworkers???  

ME!!! I did that. I wasn't even having a bad day!  Please don't be too judgmental ... I didn't mean to be a bully.  Honest!  

Here is my story... and I'm sticking to it!

I didn't know that she had the teacher's direction manual that allowed her to read all the "scripted dialogue" you have to read during those dreadfully  unpleasant tests.    I thought I had the only copy, so I knew there was absolutely NO WAY that she could be giving that test to her students.  But she was!!! 

OH MY GOSH! .. I did that to the bestest teaching buddy !!!  I barged into her room like crazed woman! 

I do not like teacher bullies!

I do not like them here...or there.

I do not like them anywhere!!!

Luckily she is sooooo forgiving...  Someday.... I might even think it might have been sorta funny (in a sick kinda way) to have seen her face as I walked out the door... but not yet... for now it's just a bit embarrassing.  

First Grade Common Core

Remember the days when you didn't have a clue what the Common Core was all about???  I have a brother that teaches Math in the Dallas area and he doesn't have a clue...and I don't think he really cares.  But for those of us looking for additional resources, here is another website that you might want to check out.  Since I teach 1st grade, I am definitely interested in First Grade Common Core ideas!  This workbook is over 550 pages and is full of ideas for centers, worksheets and posters.  Click the picture below to check it out for yourself.

How Is Your Life?

Do you ever feel like you can't get caught up no matter what you do and nothing seems to be going the way you want it to?

That is me...and it has been me...for the last ummm... well... I'm not sure how long.  

Perhaps it's because I don't quite feel at home in my classroom yet.  I can't seem to find what I want and then when I can't find it...  I end up practically tearing the room up trying to find it.  

Perhaps it's because I am frustrated with the light that projects onto my Smartboard.  It is so dim that the kiddos can't see it and who knows when I will finally get a new one...even though I have asked about it over and over again.

Perhaps it's because I didn't get to go on vacation this summer.   I really wanted to go to Washington, D.C. and the East Coast...but it just didn't happen.

Perhaps it's because I signed up to be in the Bell Choir at our church... and it is way way harder than I ever thought it would be...and I find myself practicing with my TV remote controls.  (I had to stop practicing tonight because my husband came home early, and I don't want him to think I am going off the deep end singing the sounds as I play the remote controls.)

Pehaps it's because I'm overwhelmed with all the blogs I am following and there is no way I can keep up with them.  

Perhaps it's because our computer lab is such a joke!!!    20 computers with only about 10 working. However, only 5 of them had headphones that the kids could hear out of.  What a waste of my time.

Perhaps it's because I think I am really late getting all my 1st grade testing done ...  I feel like I probably should stop everything and get them scored ... but ... well... I just don't want to.

The list could go on and on...but well... I have to leave not so I can go make a complete fool of myself at Bell Choir Rehearsal.    :)

Zebra Pens ... Oh My!!!

Don’t you just love to receive packages in the mail!!  There is something about opening my door and seeing a package in my mailbox that brings a huge smile to my face.  It’s sort of like Christmas, especially when you don’t know for sure the contents of the package!  Last week when I opened up my package, I first saw an adorable zebra.  More importantly though, I received a pen case with several different types of  Zebra pens.  A person can never have too many pens!    

The package was sent to me from an office supply store called Shoplet Office Supplies and I was asked to give my thoughts on a couple of their pens. 

The first one is called the Zebra Z-Mulsion EX Ballpoint Pen.  You can check it out by clicking here.  If you are looking for a gel pen that glides as you write, this is the pen for you. I have used many gel pens throughout the years, and most of them have a tendency to skip, but not this one!  It has a very comfortable grip and was easy to write with.    

The next pen is the Zebra F-301 Retractable Ballpoint Pen and you can check this one out by clicking here.  I love retractable pens.  Just one click after I've finish writing and I’m ready to put my pen away.  This Zebra pen has a stainless steel tip with a rubberized no slip grip which makes it relatively easy to hold.  This pen is thinner than I normally use.  After writing with it for several minutes, I realized that it was becoming uncomfortable to write with.  I like the way it writes though, so I will use it for papers that do not require a great deal of writing.

For more information about these and other office supplies head on over to Shoplet.com. I don't think you will be disappointed.