Literacy Lunch

I have promised a certain little reader for two weekends now that I would get this post up, and I am finally getting it done!

At the beginning of October my team teacher and I introduced the Literacy Lunch Club to our fourth graders. This summer I came up with the idea to do a book club type thing with my students outside of the classroom work. I didn't want to have to do too much work to pull it off, but still wanted to have some fun and share some book love. Out came the Literacy Lunch Club.

Each week on Wednesday, five students who have signed up eat lunch with the teachers in the classroom and present a project that they did on a book of their choice. The club is open to any reader who wants to join. My main goal was to involve the students who don't normally get to do these type of projects. The students can do any book and do any project to go along with it. The canvas is totally blank!

I would have to say that for the most part, after two months, the club is a success and I have students who can't wait to sign up in the next open slot!

I don't have pictures for every project, but have a few that have really stood out.

George's Marvelous Medicine

by Roald Dahl

 

 

Bridge to Terabithia

by Katherine Paterson

 

 

The Witches

by Roald Dahl

 

Super Fudge

by Judy Blume

 

It has been a lot of fun sharing these special lunches with the students and seeing their hard work and creativity. At their age I wouldn't have been able to do projects like these, not sure I could as an adult!

Thoughts From My Early Morning Shopping Trip

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope that where you are the wind isn't blowing like it is here. I went to town and driving in this wind and dodging tumbleweeds was a challenge.

I woke up about 4:30 this morning and while trying desperately to fall back to sleep I started thinking about what all I needed to do. There are a few items that I needed to get from the store but was having a hard time picking when I was going to go in to town. I was ready to go right then but knew that was just silly. Then I had to make the decision of what store to go to and what coffee shop to swing by. I had a few different options and my choice was going to be based on how busy each place might be.

8:30 in the morning is a great time to go shopping! I drove by our Safeway which is having a Re-Grand Opening this weekend after their remodel and addition of a Starbucks. I thought that it was going to be VERY busy with pre-church goers, who wanted to get their first Starbucks before church. I was way wrong!

 

I think that Safeway is a genius! I first saw this bag three years ago when I was visiting my dad in San Diego and loved it. How easy is it to donate to your food bank this way?

Let's face it, we are lazy, myself included. I would want to donate, but would stand in an isle stressing about what to get and what was really needed. Then if I was lucky enough to overcome this silly thinking, it would sit in my car for weeks until I figured out where it needed to go and find the time to take it there. This way, I don't have to worry about what to get, I don't have to take it anywhere and I help out. I just love that they do this!

 

Well I can't mention that Safeway has a new Starbucks without myself having to check and see if they are any good. So to celebrate my early morning shopping trip, I got my first red cup of the season! My dear cousin Sarah loves the red cup season and I had to send her a picture letting her know I was thinking of her.

Now on to my other thought about getting my red cup. I love it when people use my name. When you go to a store and they take the time to figure out what your name is and use it. They asked what my name was to put on my cup, which is normal, but after the cute barista called my name with my cup, I cheerfully told her thank you and she said, "You're welcome, have a great day Sarah!" That was the highlight of the trip.

Even though I like this so much to be done to myself, I am horrible at doing it to others. I have a better chance at knowing their name than they do of mine, but I just get scared and my voice runs and hides. I REALLY need to get better at this. It isn't like it is a hard thing to do.

Ok well I better get going, I have lots to do today since I have company coming over to watch the NASCAR race and I have to clean up and make cookies. I just wanted to make sure that I blogged about my *heart flutter* filled morning.

What are some of your Sunday morning *heart flutters*?

100th Blog Post!

In school, especially the younger grades, we celebrate the 100th Day of School. Since fourth grade is super boring, we don't celebrate this landmark day (E-I-E-I-O) much to older siblings dismay.

So why am I talking about the 100th day of school when we still have a few months before this day even happens? Well tonight I want to celebrate a different 100 milestone.

This is my 100th blog post!

Now there are probably tons of bloggers out there who have reached this milestone a long time ago, but I am surprised that I made it this far.

I like to blog. I just have a lack of confidence in my blog, my ability and what I have to "say." I often think to myself, "Oh! I could blog about that!" but then talk myself out of it thinking no one will care.

I need to get over this thinking. Clap if you agree...

To celebrate I decided to look back over the 100 and revisit the top six most viewed posts.

1. I Wanna Be Loved Like That

Comes in with 71 views. This excites me since this was probably the most raw, real and honest post I have written. Maybe I need to post more posts like this?

2. I Call A Redo

This post was my second attempt at blogging. I tried to blog and not broadcast it on Facebook, but then no one was reading them, let alone commenting. So I had to once again over come some fear and post the links on Facebook. There are times that I don't blog about certain things because I don't want Facebook land to know about it, but that is probably ok since it probably doesn't need to be shared in the first place.

I think that this post got 66 views because it was my "first" one and people wanted to know what was going on.

3. Salida *Heart Flutters*

I learned with this one that the more people you tag in the shared link on Facebook, the more views you will get! 65 views from friends of all three of my sisters and my dad came and read about our adventure of remembering our mom.

4. "Stealing Ideas"

I had to go back and reread this one since I couldn't remember what it was about based on the title. Update on the graffiti wall. Slight E-I-E-I-O moment for Ms. Wilson. It as several other ideas, get put on the back burner and either never happen or start out and don't go very far. I got it started, but then I didn't really tell the students about it until later in the year and then it just became part of the decor in the room. Although! Lately a few kids have put some quotes up, so someone is thinking about it at least! 60 views total.

5. Get Your Nerd On

I met an author and a "famous" DJ! This post was about attending a meet and greet with Dom Testa, author of the Galahad Series and morning DJ for Mix 100 in Denver. I had an in since my cousin and his wife are friends with Dom, so yes, I name dropped and got some extra perks of meeting him. I still have not read the last book of the series but eagerly await his upcoming series. 59 views total.

6. Summer Bucket List 2013

I am glad that this one made the list with 56 views. I had an amazing summer filled with many adventures with friends and family. I plan on making another list next summer to ensure that I get done what I want to get done. (The fall list fell on its backside.)

Here's to a total of 5,602 views total and to the next 100 posts. Thank you to all that have been on this journey with me and I hope that you stick around for more. I promise to try to be more confident if you promise to comment every now and then. ;0)

Do you have a favorite post of mine?

Just Bloggin'

Is this you waiting for me to blog?

Humor me and say yes.

Is this my first post in November? I can't even remember when I blogged last. Tomorrow is pay day which also means that the month is already half over! Where is my life going?

I am finally feeling better physically and emotionally and hope that maybe I will be able to blog more. Now I just need to find some stuff to blog about!

I caught up on my friend Cassie's blog tonight and am going to copy here "cop-out" idea for the night. Here are just a few things recently that have made my *heart flutter*

I have a very sweet student who has a great sense of humor and seems to "get" me. We have often quoted this commercial in class and I started saying "E-I-E-I-O" whenever there was a disappointment or a frustration. Something happened one day that fit both these and she said, "E-I-E-I-O, huh Ms. Wilson?" These small little moments that I share with my students with some humor are my favorites.

Tonight I FINALLY got my bangs cut (no more Justin Bieber bangs) and then came home and started a blanket

 

and watched

 

 

I loved the movie! It was so cute and Mr. John Wayne is a handsome man! My favorite part is where he drags her off the train and five miles back to her brother. I giggled the whole time!

And finally the end the night, I am addicted to Today's Letters. I probably give Em and Tim about 95% of their page views. I check their blog about once a day and have used some of her quirky sayings from time to time. To be honest, I have even written my own letters, using her idea. (Is that plagiarism? If I use her idea but my own words, is that ok? If so, sorry Em! You are just such an inspiration!)

Well it was a late, emotional night last night so I better tuck myself into bed so I am ready for Breakfast Burrito Friday! Thank you paleo challenge for allowing cheat days!

What is your favorite John Wayne movie? (This is only the second one I have watched.)

Pintrest Party Projects

Good news folks, I am finally feeling better! I took my last pill of my meds today and I am up and running. I still have a slight cough that surfaces every once in awhile, but I can live with that!

At the beginning of the month I had to cancel a Pintrest party because I wasn't feeling well. Yesterday we were able to cash in that rain check and get our craft on!

Erica, Bre and I crafter for a few hours while chatting, listening to music and snacking. It was so relaxing and was a great way to spend a Saturday.

Here is what we made:

Beer bottle wrapped in twine with some added fall flowers, makes a pretty cute vase.

 

Coffee filter wreath

 

Reused mason jars with paint on the inside, scrapbook paper punches and Modge Podge.

Twine wrapped wreath.

 

We already have plans for a winter Pintrest party this time with some hot drinks, movies and blankets.

 

What are some things you have gotten off of Pintrest?



*Snapshot Saturday*

It is 4:04 on Sunday morning (although still feels like Saturday since I haven't been to bed yet!) I just got finished with sweeping the kitchen, changing laundry over and cleaning my desk. I decided I might as well stop fighting trying to go to sleep and use my time wisely.

I am thinking the reason I am not asleep as we speak is the fact that I slept most of the day.

These are my new friends. I had twenty of them but have lost a few in the past few days. I think we might become best friends soon! This is my second round of meds and I am pretty confident that they are going to do the trick. Along with the rest that I have gotten the past two days.

 

When I wasn't sleeping I was reading "London Bridges" by James Patterson and finished that pretty quickly. Still have about nine more to go to finish the series, but Patterson puts out a book a week, so there could be more.

 

Hopefully next Saturday I will have a more exciting snapshot, well at least for you, this snapshot excites me a lot!

 

I also hope to get up my post about Literacy Lunch soon. We have already had three and I am uber excited to share with you all!

 

What do you do when you can't sleep? Do you do housework or am I just weird?

 

Sick of Being Sick

October 5th! I had to look back and see when I blogged last, I couldn't even remember, nor what I blogged about!

As much as I like October, we don't really get along. I have been sick all month long and I hate it! It has limited me on what I have been able to do. I have either been sleeping a lot or trying to catch up from sleeping so much!


Here are a few things I have not been able to do the past few weeks:

• sing
• kickboxing
• laugh
• blog
• teach
• have a conversation without coughing my head off

I have been to the doctor and am now on my second round of meds. Hopefully this go round is successful!

Please don't forget about me, as soon as I have some more time and energy, I will catch up. I do have a lot to say and to share!

In the mean time, keep looking for *heart flutters* all around you!