Trying to Balance Life

Hello, Dear Friends! 

I haven't forgotten about you, I promise.  Adjusting to life as a mom of two boys on top of being a teacher and a wife is sometimes a struggle.  Honestly, sometimes things don't get done.  So, my blog has been left neglected on top of laundry, mopping...etc.  One day, I will figure it all out.  As of right now, I'm just taking life one day at time and spending as much time as I can with my munchkins. If the mopping doesn't get done, it's okay.  The laundry can wait.  They grow up so fast! I've being enjoying my summer! 

I love being a mom to two little boys.  I was always told that I as a "boy mom" by my co-workers.  They would joke because I could always reach those active little boys and love them like they need to be loved.  The good Lord laughed and gave me two boys of my own. 

Boy Mom status at it's finest...

We love some Doc McStuffins!  It's time for your check up! 

Gavin is now eating solid food, rolling over, "talking" all the time, and trying to sit up on his own.  He'll be 5 months old next week.  Time needs to slow down! 

We love summer! Bubbles are always a big hit! 

Brotherly love!  Brayden LOVES his brother! It amazes me the amount of love he has for his little brother.  It's as if Gavin has always been here.  

I will be teaching 3rd grade again this year.  This past year I had a great group of kids, but between being pregnant and feeling like a new teacher (since I was in a new grade level), I didn't have time to create and share like I wanted to.  

I enjoyed 3rd grade more than I thought I would.  I love their independence and love the fact that they still love their teacher.  3rd grade is a challenging grade, but a rewarding one.  

As I enter 3rd grade for the 2nd year, I feel more prepared.  Long range plans are done. Yay! I'm the grade level chair for my team, so I'm able to work with a new group of teachers and have them try new things than they have done in the past. Hello, genre studies! :-)

So, here's to a great new year.  Enjoy the rest of your summer, friends.  Relax, unwind, and mentally get ready for a new group of students.  

Lots of love, 

Meet Gavin

Hello, Friends!

First, I'm posting this from my phone. My apologies for any wierd fonts/spacing.

So, I wanted to drop by and share my new bundle of joy with y'all.

Gavin was born on February 16th at 7:48 am EST. He was 19 and 1/4 inches long. He is precious and just perfect.

I am adjusting to life as being a mom to two children. I'm super busy I feel like and appreciate the days that my 3 year old feels like taking a nap. :-)

Brayden is being such a big help. From helping to make bottles to throwing diapers away; he's trying to be such a big boy. 

Watching him love and talk to Gavin just melts my heart. I'm blessed!

I'll be back to blogging when I return to work in April. It'll be here before I know it. 

Until then...lots of love,

Bright Ideas: Writing Celebrations

Hello, Friends!

Today, I am linking up with some of my favorite bloggers to show you a bright idea from my classroom.

Today's focus is all about writing and how my class celebrates at the end of each unit.  Writing seems to be one of those subjects that teachers and students either love or hate.  I love writing, but teaching it is always a struggle.  My students know that at the end of each unit, they will be sharing their favorite published piece.  That seems to help a little.  They know that their friends will be reading their writing.  My 3rd graders want everyone to think that their writing is the best.

So, how does a writing celebration look in my classroom?

First, we sit in a circle on the carpet and share our topics and our favorite sentence.  Then, my students place their published writing at their table.  They walk around and read everyone's writing.  During this time, I pass out snacks.  They love walking around and reading everyone's writing.  Having a snack seems to be enjoyable as well. ;-)

At the end, we gather back on the carpet.  Students share what they liked about each other's writing during this time.  Such a great way to feed confidence in my little writers.  

At our first writing celebration, we talk about how to give good compliments.  We also talk about how everyone writes differently just as every real author writes different as well.

So, that's it.  Simple, easy, and a a great way to motivate writers to do their best work. 

If you enjoyed this bright idea, make sure you are following me on Facebook and TpT for lots more fun and bright ideas.

For more bright ideas from a variety of other bloggers, please browse through the link-up

below and choose a topic/grade level that interests you. Thanks for visiting! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Lots of love,

Five for Friday

Happy Friday, Friends!

Today, I am linking up with Doodle Bugs to share some of the things I've been up to this week.

My baby turned 3 on Monday.  How do I have a 3 year old and why does time seem to fly so fast the older I get? 

I learned in September that I was being paired with a 4K teacher at my school for our Classroom Buddies.  To be honest, I was a little terrified.  They are so little...what could we possibly do together?  Well, I'm so glad that we were paired together.  My students have LOVED helping the little ones and having fun together.  Below the 4K buddy picked out a picture book for my 3rd graders to read to them.  LOVE! 

Yes, this picture is blurry but their smiles are not.  We learned about all of the different battles fought in South Carolina during the American Revolution this week.  Below these are my Patriots throwing paper balls at my Loyalists.  They LOVED it.  So much fun! 

Yay for an optional teacher workday!  I woke up husband up at 6:30.  Went back to sleep and Brayden woke me up around 8.  Yay for sleeping in!  I'm enjoying spending the whole day with my munchkin'.

I am almost 35 weeks pregnant and my baby has already dropped.  I never dropped with my first time, so this worries me just a little.  My C-Section is scheduled for February 16th, but I really think he's gonna be here before then.  Better get to getting all of my ducks in a row. We aren't quite ready for Gavin to enter the world yet.  I can't wait to meet him, but need a few more weeks to get everything together! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday! 

Lots of love,