Krazy Kool Summer (freebie)

I'm just now finding time to share about the last couple days of school. I'm not sure why, but I've had kind of a hard time "winding down" so far this summer. Believe me, we've been enjoying riding around town with the top off the new Jeep, get togethers with friends and days by the pool...but it just has not really settled in yet. 

 During the craziness of the last few days with my super nice class, I finished the class slideshow (500+ pictures) and burned a CD for each student.

To encourage writing practice over the summer, I give each student an envelope with my address and invite them to write to me. I will be doing another post about my pen pal experiences in the next few days, but here is a pic of the envelopes.  I make sure I give them at least one envelope with my address already on it and a note that tells their parents about being my pen pal.

I also give my students a summer packet of work to do over the summer months. Each student takes home their packet in one of these large envelopes. 

 If you wish to checkout my summer packet, please click on the image below.  It includes a variety of summer reading and writing practice activities (summer reading log, nouns, verbs, adjectives, writing prompts, summer poetry, informational text,etc).  I send my packet home with students, but you could use this packet for tutoring as well.  I also include some math work in the envelopes for my students, but the pages I give them are from one of our math programs.

And just for fun, I gave my students a fancy straw and a package of Koolaid.  I was surprised to learn that most of my students had not tried Koolaid before (and alarmed when one of them tore open the package and tried to eat the powder like candy).  Oops.

There are several versions of a label to go with these floating around out there, but you can click on the image below to grab a copy of  my version if you need one for the future.

Death Row Brownies

I probably should have titled this post "GOODBYE Death Row Brownies"! For some reason, my husband and I had a conversation a few years ago about what our last meal would be if we were on death row. To be clear, neither of us has plans to be on death row...ever. But, we have our final meal menus ready just in case. 

My menu only has two items...

Yum!  I call them gas station brownies, because you can buy them at almost any gas station in America (you just have to check for freshness).  When the news broke that Hostess was going out of business, I nearly had a heart attack...until I remembered that my death row brownies were made by Little Debbie.  I've talked about my love of Dt. Dew so many times before that I'm sure you are not surprised that it made my menu.

Today, on a regular Wednesday...I must throw away my Death Row Brownies. 
 Yes, I will. 
 I can do it. 
 During the school year, my fitness plan is more like a survival plan. It includes random 2 mile runs (every few months), daily dog walks (which don't seem to be very helpful in terms of weight control for me) and an abnormal amount of death row brownies (and Swedish Fish and maybe some other stuff). 

I'm turning 40 this year. I'm on an upward slope - on the scale. This can not go on. Now that I finally finished school, I'm back on my summer workout plan (which includes 3 mile runs at least 3 times a week and lots of dog walks and bike rides in between. Still, I must say goodbye to my Death Row Brownies. Booo! 

 Off to run. Then tomorrow (when the detox sets in) I will follow this plan (thank you, Pinterest) for my "off days".   I linked it to the blog that Pinterest links it to, but I can't seem to find it on her blog.

I will survive without brownies and Swedish Fish in my life, right? Please don't suggest that I should give up the Dt. Dew too. I only drink one a day (unless we have a staff meeting) and I just can't do without that for now. Pathetic, but true? 

Just in case you are wondering, my husbands menu includes only one item (in mass quantities).  If he had to choose a last meal his meal would consist of Bezeau ribs (no need to google it, they are ribs made by our friends).  Wouldn't it be a nice compliment if someone chose your cooking for their last meal?  Considering my cooking skills, it would be a miracle.

Anyone else working on a fitness plan this summer?  I might need a support group.

Survival...Standards

We are down to 1 1/2 days of school.

My head is spinning...Since my husband and I are both teachers, our family goes into survival mode at this time of the year. I bought extra bottled water, cookies and chips at the store last weekend, just incase my google calendar sends me an alert to say that I volunteered to take one of those things to the endless list of functions for the week. 

Not that anyone has time to sit on the couch...but they would have to fold the laundry first. It's clean. And...I don't have time to inspect the picture for undies that may be sticking out of the pile. Excuse those if you see them.

 
 I got a new Jeep last week. I love it! It's my tattoo. Well, not really. My husband thought we should do something wild this year since we both turn 40. He liked the tattoo idea, but a new Jeep is as wild as this girl gets. Right about now, we are so busy that I'm scared to take the top off because I have no idea how to put it back on and I'm sure it will rain as soon as I figure out how to take it off. When summer hits, I'm gonna put on my big girl pants and a hat/head band/hair band and put the top down! And...I will not complain (to my husband) about how much it hurts when you have to brush knots out of your hair. Did I say that I love my new Jeep? I really do. 

 To sum up the school business... 

We've been doing lots of fun things in the last few weeks...that I won't have time to blog about until later. 

My class is super nice (sad to see them go). 
My parents are super nice (might need to hire them to train future parents).
I'm done with my report cards (amen). 
I only have a few things left on my checkout sheet (yippee). 
Looking forward to a  paycut and an increased class size (boo). 
I still love teaching (lucky)! 

 And the highlight of my students day today...chair washing. Yep. Every year they love it! So far, no one has complained about me asking kids to do such a chore.  My students use a blob of shaving cream and then we carry the chairs outside to the "scrubbing station" and the "rinsing station".  Then we have recess while they dry in the sun. It matches a standard and I have an I can statement for it, so I can't see why anyone would complain.

Ahhh...clean chairs (and bins).

Off to think of an I can statement for the Ice Cream Sundae party that I'm hosting tomorrow.  And...I might need to stop at the store and buy some gummy bears to replace the ones that a student brought a day early (oops).

 

Could it be?

I've been feeling a little overwhelmed by the end of the year craziness. My last day of school is next Friday. The last day for my own kids/husband is June 13. Between all the end of the year stuff at all 4 schools and our soccer/baseball/dance schedules...let's just say I'm expecting that my Google calendar will crash soon. 

 And then... 

like a message from above 

to remind me that being a teacher really is one of the luckiest jobs in the world... 

a visitor came to my classroom. 

This is Brian (a student from my first Kindergarten class).

All grown up.

Graduating from high school this week.

Heading off to the University of Michigan.

And he took the time to visit me...his first teacher.

and even better than his special visit...

he asked me if he could stay a while to HELP!

Folks - there is hope for the world!

The smile he is wearing in the picture is the exact same smile 

that was painted on his face the entire year in Kindergarten. 

Brian is a hard working, smart, polite and always happy kid...

just a whole lot taller than the last time he spent time in my room.

I'm so grateful that Brian took the time to come back to say thank you to his first teacher.

It's important to stop to notice the reminders of how lucky we truly are to be teachers...

 

Summer Work to Send Home

I feel like I might be the only one still in school. That can't be true since I know that Holly (from Crisscross Applesauce in First Grade) and all the other Michiganders are trudging through the last couple weeks with me. My post is going to have to be short today (busy day). Church (check). Sunday school (check). Groceries (check). Laundry (in progress). Graduation party (later this afternoon). Snuggling with my kids (top priority). 

If you're still in school and you need some fun things to do to keep your kids busy during the last few days, check out my Get Ready for Summer Writing and Drawing Activities. My students did a few of these activities last week and will do the rest in the next two weeks (in between Windexing everything and spreading shaving cream on the tables/supply bins).

 

 I also have a Summer Reading and Writing for Home pack that I send home with students to help them maintain their current reading/writing levels over the summer. I tell my students that if they return the packet to me during the first week of school in September, I'll give them a little prize (which is usually a bookmark, a pencil or eraser). Last year, about 1/2 my students returned it (which I was happy with).

 

Summer Bucket List Linky Party

I have to be honest... 

I'm dreaming of summer and feeling the end of the year panic at the same time. It does seem that after 15 years, I'd get the hang of this end of the year thing. Turns out not so much. I'm still neck deep in assessments and my to do list is making me feel a little sick to my stomach.

 In the spirit of avoiding my to do list, 

I decided to link up with three fabulous bloggers for the Summer Bucket List linky party.

 Sleep

You know...past 5 a.m. and without a to-do list racing in my head.

 Oh how I love to sleep.

Dig Out!

I have these cute little bins behind my desk that say copy, file, revise for next year.  The one that says file is barely visible at this point. Before my kids had "way too many" evening activities, I used to file everything in the file bin back in the right place in my file cabinet once a week. 

 I have not touched it since September (except to add to it). 

I need to dig out at home too (my office/craft room, the kitchen counter, my closet). 

They are all full of piles of things to take care of "when school is out".

Now for the fun stuff...

Read

I have at least 5 books just waiting in a basket by my bed.  

Real books.  

The kind that you don't have to read aloud.  

The kind that don't have to be a mentor text for anything.  

The kind that I never get to read during the school year.

Travel

We will spend 15 days camping again this summer in our favorite place (Petoskey, Michigan). While we are camping our days are filled 

with biking, swimming in the lake, campfires and long walks.  

And...my husband makes my phone a wi-fi hotspot 

so I can still blog and work on fun stuff while I'm in the woods. 

I can't wait!

We're also going on an 8 day cruise this summer.  

We booked the cruise right before everyone started getting stranded in the ocean 

knee deep in poop with barely enough food. 

 We've cruised several times before (and never had a problem), 

so I'm sure it will be fine.  

I'll be taking my cute rain boots just in case. 

Create

I have a list of things I want to make this summer.

  Some are for my classroom, 

some are on the list to add to my online stores

 and some are just for fun.  

Having time to make some of the things on my list sounds heavenly.  

 Exercise

I don't really want this on my bucket list, but it needs to be.

I like to take walks, ride my bike, play sports with the kids.

But this whole thing about being forced to exercise (so you can fit in your clothes) is a bit much.

But...I'm turning 40 this year and it is necessary. 

 So it's on the dumb list. :)

Relax

That is my OLW for 2013. 

I'm gonna practice it this summer.

10 more school days and I can start practicing...

I can't wait!

You an join the Summer Bucket List linky fun by clicking on the image at the top of this post!

Meet a Few of My Friends - Linky Party!

I'm linkin' up with Latoya, from Flying into First Grade, 

for her Let's Get Aquainted Linky this week!

The topic this week:  Meet 2 of My Bloggy Friends (but I like to do everything in 3's)

I met Holly, from Crisscross Applesauce in First Grade, last summer at the Michigan Blogger Meet Up.  I had been following her blog for a long time before that.  We kept in touch after the meet up and discovered that we have lots in common.  I smile when I find a message from her in my inbox.  I laugh when I read the messages she sends.  And...I think it would be great fun if we worked in the same school!



Jennifer, from Rowdy in First Grade, is also a friend of mine. I'm pretty sure we started blogging about the same time. I recently posted about how sweet Jennifer is...you can read it here. In my next life, I'm going to try to be as nice as Jennifer. :) For now, it's probably too late. It seems unlikely that Jennifer and I will ever end up in the same building, but I would love that too! Think of the team we could have...



And... Once upon a time, I received a nice email from a girl named Kristin. She said she was considering starting her own blog, but had some questions. I answered her questions and told her to let me know when she started her blog so I could check it out. Who knew that in just a few days she would turn out to be the famous Kristin from A Teeny Tiny Teacher? I recently posted about her too...you can read it here. We're both 4 feet 11 inches tall short. I like to be short. I never hit my head on anything.


I love these gals and their blogs. I appreciate their sense of humor and admire their teaching ideas. More than anything, I value their friendship! Love ya, girls!  

Go visit and check them out!  

2 more Mondays...I think I can.  I think I can.