Currently November!!!!

Ohmygosh....It's currently November.  I can't believe how fast this year is flying by.  I have the best students ever, and I want the year to go slower, so that I can enjoy them.  It's one of those years that you could feel like you could just loop with your class forever.  Ya know?  Plus, my daughter is an 8th grader, and I am just NOT ready for her to be a high schooler...that is the last stop before college and leaving me.  :(  I'm just not ready.  Slow down, Mr. Time!  Well, at least I got an extra hour this weekend to hold to it all a little bit longer.  Time to link up with one of my faves, Farley, from Oh Boy 4th Grade.  Here we go!

Listening
My old teammate got me hooked on Dateline.  I love to record it on Friday nights, and then watch it early on either Saturday or Sunday.  Keith Morrison's voice is so soothing, and I now associate it with weekend me-time.  LOL  I'm also listening to my annoying refrigerator.  It buzzes and drives me cray cray.  :/

Loving
Last weekend it was 88° last weekend, and it felt even hotter.  Yesterday to welcome November to central Texas it was a delicious 46° when I woke up.  The high was only 68°.  It will be a little warmer today, and even more warm Monday and Tuesday, but the rest of the week looks like it cools back off.  I can't wait for the cool to be here to stay for a while.  I hate hot weather, and I am one of the few central Texans who enjoy the chilly weather.  I am going to soak it in while I can, because it never stays cool for very long. 

Thinking
My daughter's trick-or-treat bag is next to me on the coffee table.  I just keep chanting in my head DON'T eat the candy, DON'T eat the candy.  ;)

Wanting
I had my PDAS, my formal observation for you non-Texas folks, last Wednesday.  They have like two weeks to get it back to us, but I am so impatient with things like that.  I was always the kid who wanted my graded papers back immediately, etc.  I just want to know whatever it says.  I do not do well with delayed gratification.  I'm sure it's good, but I just want to know.  Ya know?

Needing
I had been doing so great with my exercise.  ALMOST every day for about three months.  Then I hurt my shoulder, and I could barely move my arm for about a week.  So I was resting it.  I think that was good, but it's been two weeks since then, and I've only exercised about three times.  NOOOOO!!!!  I must get back on the wagon.  This week will be different...I will NOT give up.  I have lost about 20 pounds, but I have a ton to go, so I will exercise and eat healthy.  I'm making my exercise journal/diary today to help get my motivation back.

Reading
I'm finally reading The Fault In Our Stars.  I know, I know...I'm way late to the party.  My daughter read it last year, and she was so mad that I didn't read it in time for the movie.  I won't see the movie until I'm done reading it.  So, I am going to finish it today, and then we can FINALLY see the movie.  I bought her Mockingjay Part 1 tickets for the day it comes it, so that kind of makes up for this...right?  I'm off to read it right now in fact.  I gotta finish so we can go to the zoo to visit the lions, my favorite, when my daughter wakes up.  :)

Currently...September!!!

I am always excited to link up with Farley for Currently!  Here goes nothin'...

Listening:  I am currently listening to HGTV's Flipping the Block.  Does anyone else love that show as much as me?  I can't wait for the season finale next week, but I will miss Josh shouting, "People of the block!!!!"  haha

Loving: I love HEB's packaged guacamole in the produce section.  It is fresh, so it tastes pretty much like homemade without all the work.  It could use a touch more lime juice buuuuttt....  Anyway, I never splurge on it, because it's cheaper for me to make my own.  Plus, my daughter doesn't like avocado, so I have to eat it all by myself.  (This is really not a problem, but I SHOULDN'T.)  Well, today I splurged and got myself the little container of the spicy kind, and it is soooo good.  I had it on a whole wheat low carb tortilla with some chicken for lunch, and it was awesome. 

Thinking: Any other Texas teachers frustrated with TEA and the gaps created by the new math TEKS.  I am struggling trying to figure out where to start my instruction this year.  Grrrr

Wanting: My daughter and I are healthy eating and exercising which is great!  I feel stronger and healthier, and I am less hungry most of the time.  I am never going to NOT want pizza, or dipped cones, or chocolate, or bread, but I.CAN.NOT.EAT.THEM.EVERY.DAY.  Soooo...we are sticking with our eating healthy and exercising three weeks at a time, and then we get a cheat day.  Day 22 is coming up on Wednesday, and I have Starbucks fall latte and a pizza dinner with a pumpkin beer for dinner planned already!  I am pumped.

Needing: Three more days off...or a math planning fairy.  Ya know...whichever.

Trips: I want to travel everywhere...seriously.  I've only been to a few places too, which makes it so sad.  If I had to list three of my top travel destination dream locations it would be these.  I have always wanted to go to the redwood forest ever since singing "This Land is Your Land" when I was a kid.  New York is a dream of most.  I'm no exception.  Hawaii too.  Tropical paradise??  Yes, please!  And a little edit with a fourth location (#sorrynotsorry for the cheat) Wizarding World of Harry Potter really has to happen soon.  I love HP!

You should link up with Farley too!  Or at the very least, head over to her blog and read about what other bloggers are Currently up to!

 

Currently....Testing Season

 

It's time to link up with the super funny Farley from Oh Boy Fourth Grade for another month of Currently!  Are you in test mode like me???

Listening: Y'all...It is 8:00 am on a school day, and I am listening to the glorious sounds of nothing!  Isn't that the best thing you've ever heard?  We had STAAR tests on Tuesday and Wednesday, but today I took a personal day.  WooHoo!!!  I never take true personal days, but today I did.  My daughter and I are going to go out to breakfast, go shopping, go see Divergent, and maybe take some bluebonnet pics on the side of the road.  It is going to be amazing!!!

Loving: I am loving my math center activities that I made for my 5th graders.  They did them on Monday as a review before the big day of some basic skills, and let me tell you it was good.  They enjoyed them, but even better than that I got information.  I saw some things we still need to work on for division and some things they've forgotten about decimals.  Let me just say, I will be spiraling those things in over the next few weeks.  There are six, super easy-prep centers to do with dice and cards.  Usually I glue my centers to file folders and laminate, but this time I was in a rush so I just slipped them into page protectors.  That made it even easier.  You can click here or the pic below to check them out in my store.  There are several pics of them in action below. (Ignore that 10 card in the thousandths place decimal picture...I forgot to take them out at first.  We fixed it.  Whoops! LOL)

 

Thinking: I am thinking that there are only a couple of weeks left before the science STAAR test.  We need to finish up life science and review, review, review!  I will be using my Electric Circuit Task Cards, and I'm hoping to make some other things as well to practice the things they are really struggling with.

Wanting: I am wanting some more cutie patootie antique toolboxes or other antique boxes to put stuff in like this one that my mom gave me.  I put some games in it that we play regularly, and I love it!!!  We used to keep the games in the closet.  Now they are close at hand, but don't make it look messy.  Maybe we'll hit up an antique store today while we're out.  :)

Needing: I am needing my math STAAR test results.  I was anxious the last few weeks for how my kids would do, but know I just need to know.  I.Can't.Stand.The.Waiting.  #idontdodelayedgratification

Hours and Last Day: My contract hours are from 7:10-3:40, and my students hours are 7:40-2:40.  Can I just say reading everyone's currently this month has made me really jealous of some of your schedules.  Why is my required day so long?  Of course, I also work later than that most of the time, but I am getting better about letting things go until the next day so I can go home!  Our last day of school is June 6th now because of weather make-up days.  And then we have a teacher workday the following Monday.  I'm still debating about whether to apply for summer school.  I have done it for two years, and I could use the money, but I want a nice long summer.  We'll see....

That's all for this month's currently...now I must get out and enjoy this day.  :)

 

Currently...5 School Days from Spring Break!!!!

Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh...  It is only 5 school days away.  Actually only 4 days for me, because we have a grade-level planning day on Wednesday.  I can smell the fresh air, Starbucks sit-ins, and I-finally-have-time-for-home-cooking days coming my way.  How about you?

And now....It's time to link up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade for Currently...March!!!

 

Listening: Are you guys as excited as I am about Scandal being back?  I LOVE it!!!  I had to DVR it, because this week has been crazy, but I am finally getting to watch it.  Soooo good!

 

Loving: I am loving my new fraction anchor charts, and I promised I'd share them on the blog this week.  Here they are in all their glory:

Anybody have suggestions to keep them from fading?  The sun in my room is doing a doozy on them already, and it's only been a couple of weeks.  (The blinds are closed already, so that is not helping.  I was hoping I could keep them for a little while, but now I'm not sure they will last.  Help!!!)

 

Thinking:  Spring Break is sooo close.  I want those days of recuperation so badly.  It has been a stressful year, a year of chaos in my mind.  I need days to get my thoughts in order, my files in order, my plans in order, because our math standardized test is just around the corner.  I have got to do my students justice, and I need time for myself in order to make that happen. 

 

Wanting: My "running" shoes are getting a hole, and my big toe is going to pop out the top of one of them soon.  Heading to the outlet malls during spring break to find some more.  I call them "running" shoes, because I jog...barely.  But I'm trying.  See the needing section for more...

 

Needing: Working out is new for me.  I have been going to the gym regularly since the beginning of January...until last week.  Last week was insane.  Today's the day to get back in the game.  I have TONS of work to do in the get healthy department, but I am trying.  I am doing couch to 5K, which for most people is a program that progresses a little more each week.  My progress happens at a much slower pace.  I have repeated week 2 one time, and week 3 two times, and I think I'm going to be on week 3 for a while yet.  It is hard when you are as out of shape as I am, but I am trying.  And...I.Am.Not.Giving.Up.Dammit.  This is what I keep telling myself anyway.  That's why I must get myself to the gym.  TODAY!

 

???: And now the question category.  My answer is Vitamin Water Zero.  Any guesses?

 

Enjoy your March teacher friends!

Really?!!?? It's currently August? Eeek!

Ohmygosh....It's August y'all.  I keep checking the date on my phone, because I'm in denial.  I can't believe how fast the summer has gone by!  I'm not ready for the back to school crazies; I'm still soaking in the summer funsies.  Today I am linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for this month's currently and with Jess from I {heart} Recess for my B2S goals.  So many of you are ready for school, but I haven't even started.  Eeek!  Hopefully these two linkies will help get my ideas flowing and get my tookis in gear! 

I'm officially allowed to get in my room on Monday.  I am gonna swim, shop, and sleep late for three more days...then I'm totally gettin' to work!  Promise! ;)