Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sunday does not equal Funday.


Today is going to be spent lesson planning, finding videos about the Mexican Revolution for my kids to watch, and grading papers. Let me tell you that grading papers is my LEAST favorite part about my job. Seriously. I would rather do all of the observations, mentoring program work, administrative stuff TWICE if it meant someone else would grade my papers for me. I really, really hate it. With 100 students, it's REALLY difficult to get it done quickly and efficiently, especially if you are trying to evaluate their writing abilities. 100 kids is a LOT!!

Anyhow, that is what I am spending today doing. In the background, I'll be watching lots of Iron Chef America and hanging out with my parents, my little sister, my brother, and my grandma. Nick is taking the puppies to his dad's house today, to get some running time in :)

I hope you all have a fantastic Sunday!! <3

Friday, September 23, 2011

DIY: Apartment Edition (on a FRIDAY!)

I KNOW it's been a while for this feature, but I promise I am still keeping up with it! (The pinning part, at least! Haha!)

1. I have something similar to this at home, already. I wish I could take a picture!
I think this is SO pretty. In my bedroom, I have 5 different hand towel hooks in a row on the wall
where I hang my long necklaces, pretty bags, and scarves.

2. While I can't do too much of this at home, I have seen these pillows done before
(coughJackiecough) and I know are really easy to make! And super cute! 

3. I also don't think that I would ever be capable of this, or that it would be
appropriate to do in an apartment. Haha. It would be a total waste of amazing artwork.

4. What a good IDEA! Love the mustard wall and the yellow/green in the fabric.

Happy Friday <3 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

CRAZY.

HOLY MOLY. It's been more than two weeks since I posted last. I miss this little blog of mine! Things have been so crazy busy. I had my first full weekend off, my first paycheck, and it's only my second month of school, so I'm still very much getting used to the flow of things. Don't tell anyone, but I think it's going really well ;)

Last weekend was awesome. I got to spend the entire weekend with Nick and the puppies. We went to Oktoberfest and hung out with a bunch of friends that Nick went to high school with. It was really awesome to see them.

On Sunday, I finally got my tire fixed. The one that has been blown since the beginning of August, that I had just been filling up with air at the gas station about three times a week. I finally sucked it up and put it on my credit card. A whopping $120... but it was worth it. And very necessary. It was getting to the point that I was worried each time I got on the highway. EEP!

The puppies are doing awesome! Ella started puppy class at PetSmart. She knows all the commands really well, and we are working on honing them even more, but the main reason we put her into class is to socialize her. It's totally cute, and not actually funny when it happens, but when other dogs get near her (besides Guillermo, Pixie, and Lulu) she rolls over on her back, cries, and nips at them. I can't help but laugh... She has scared HUGE dogs away like this. She's crazy. Keep in mind she's only 4 pounds...that's not a lot to work with if one of those dogs bites back!!!


In other news... School is still pretty awesome. I'm excited to keep going with it :) Tomorrow is Staff Red day, and I even painted my nails ;)

Look for a DIY: Apartment Edition, tomorrow! I PROMISE I am trying to get back into the swing of things!

I'm at my parents' house as I write this, and my sister (she's almost 5) put in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince just for me. I better got watch it! :) Happy Thursday!! <3 <3

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Life Update

This is how I feel most of the time, lately.

WOW. It has been a long time since I just posted a little update about how things are going in my neck of the woods. I promise to start getting back to regular posting now that I am getting into more of routine with this new job! It has been a crazy month, getting ready for school to start, meeting my kids, planning, and then of course, actually teaching... It's going really, really well!!

In fact, it's going so well, that I feel the need to literally knock on wood whenever someone (read: everyone) asks me how school is going. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that everyone is interested :) My kids are great! I am really able to tell that a lot of them really do need this reading intervention program, and that some of them are already ready for the 8th grade/level 3 reading program. Either way, I can see the success that will come from it, and I am so excited to help these kids get better with their reading, comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and critical thinking skills.

Much of what we're doing right now comes from simply reteaching what they have learned in past years and finding out which of them are good test takers, oral readers, etc. The hardest part is differentiating instruction in the classroom without an aide. Since I am reading intervention, the district decided that the kids with learning challenges and IEPs would not get a aide specific to them in the classroom during my class. This is a nice freedom for someone who is new to teaching, and a little freaked out about being observed, but I have started to realize that it is such a HUGE help to have an intervention specialist in the room with kids who need tests or assignments read aloud to them, or continuous prompting throughout individual work. I really feel that I am letting some of them down because I can't be with all of them at once.

Sigh.

Anyways! Overall, school is going great. So far, I am not letting things get ahead of me, I am keeping up on planning, grading, and copy-making ;)

In other news... You remember Ella, right? Well, she has made leaps and bounds when it comes to obedience training.  Considering I am certified in dog training, that shouldn't be too hard, right?! Even though she is doing well with commands, she still has an aggression problem with other dogs, even Guillermo. She seems very possessive (even over the water bowl, and especially over toys).

  


Last week, we took the two of them to the dog park and Ella spent the entire time cowering on the ground between Nick's feet. Anytime a dog even looked like it might get close to her, she would roll over on her back and start squealing like she was being squashed, and follow that up with snarling and barking. After three months and this behavior continuing, we decided we are going to take her through the puppy training class at PetSmart that Guillermo went through. I figured that even though she knows all of the commands, it has to help to have her around dogs weekly. Right? We're keeping our fingers crossed ;)

This was an extremely long winded post!! Thanks for sticking with me and my sparse posting, lately!! Love you all!! <3
S

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Fred & Friends wish list

Since losing my grandpa, I have been a little more obsessed with Matryoshkas than I was before. They are so pretty, and they can be just plain cute, too :) Here's my most recent obsession from the kitchen line from Fred & Friends, inspired by Lori..... 

1. Store-Ms

2. Bubushkups




3. I got these from my friend, Lori, for my birthday and LOVE.
They are all in a row on my window sill in the kitchen.
But, oh, what I wouldn't give to have them in red, TOO.....!



4. M-Spoons

5. Salt-M



6. Time-M


Oh, Fred & Friends, you steal my heart. <3