Frozen...Check

It is official, I am no longer the only person on the planet who hasn't seen Frozen yet. I no longer have to feel like this:

 You can put a nice check next to that on my bucket list.

Last Sunday our little town celebrated the class on 2014 with speeches, food, drink and fun. I went to seven parties with my friend Erin and her three girls. We only spent about fifteen to twenty minutes at each party before we headed to the next one. By the last party everyone was drained, tired, hot and thirsty, so what better way to end the night with a movie about ice!

The best part about the whole movie was when Haedynn curled up with me to watch. She was trying so hard to not sing along and quote every line. I totally understood how hard that was for her!

I wanted to take our picture but there wasn't a way to take a good one, so here is an alternative one!

Thank you Erin, Taelynn, Haedynn and Maesynn for helping me check off my first item off of my list this summer! Any others you want to help with?

Ideas Needed

Ok fellow crafters, I need your ideas. I have these...

glass "stones" that I had in a vase as a centerpiece. I no longer want them as a centerpiece, but my desire to be on the show Hoarders is too strong to just toss them. I can't think of anything to do with them, so I thought I would ask for your help.

Summer 2014 Bucket List

source

That's right folks, I am on summer vacation and there will be several days that I may not know what day it is. Ok the truth is, I don't always know what day it is during the school year. If you ask me on a week where we have Monday off, I will not succeed in giving you a correct answer.

Anyway, one thing I fancy about summer break is the chance to do whatever I want. This is the response I tell people when they ask me what I am going to do this summer. One problem with this attitude is that summer just seems to slip away if you don't have some sort of plan. Last year I had a bucket list and it went so well that I am doing it again!

Summer 2014 Bucket List (subject to change at any moment. Another great perk of summer!)

Hiking

• Fountain Valley Trail....Check
• Swallow & Coyote Song Loop
• Narrow Gauge & North Fork View

Watch Movies

• Frozen (I know! I think I am the only one on the planet!)...Check
• The Book Thief...Check
• Catching Fire

Items for School

• "I'm Finished" jar
• "Write On" jar
• Curtains
• Oil drip pan

Food/Drink

• Make a meatloaf...Check
• Snickerdoodle waffles
• Harry Potter Butter beer

Crafty Projects

• Finish quilt started years ago
• Pillow cases
• Pop bottle painting

Misc.

• Finish the AAA list of coffee shops with Molly (I think this one carries over from last summer)
• Put together my Muppets Puzzle...Check (no blog post for this one)
• Order and put up my chiming clock

I hope that most of these are done with family or friends. If you would like to help me check something off this list, let's do it! Adventures are more fun with someone!

Do you have summers off? Either way, do you have a bucket list and if so, what is on it?

Last Day of School Letter

Dear Fourth Grade Class of 2013-2014,

Well, we made it. No one died. I didn't lose anyone, well for very long. We laughed. We cried. We all learned at least something. It was a crazy ride and now it is over.

Some of my favorite memories are:

• Literacy lunch- thanks for making that successful 
• Watching you problem solve
• Snow shoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park
• Trying out a new writing program with you
• Reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane to you and seeing your reaction and passion for the story
• Introducing you to Billy, Old Dan and Little Ann
• The challenge that you gave me each and every day
• Teaching you the "old way" of doing multiplication and division
• Getting letters from you each month
• The first ever Slice of Life Challenge

I am excited to see what life has for you all. I hope to see several of you on the stage, court and field. You have so much potential, each and everyone of you. Thank you for allowing me to have a small hand in this.

Love,

Ms. Wilson

Success

I did it! I delivered my speech to the graduating fifth grade class! I think it went delightfully well I must say so myself! The kids laughed and I was told that a few even almost cried! Nailed it!

I also reached 10,000 page views today on my blog! On the 30th of April I celebrated my blogiversary, but was so wrapped up in life that I didn't get a blog post up. I did have a little private celebration while waiting for Kris to show up and devour some breakfast burritos with me!

I tried to find a cupcake, but it turns out that you can't buy just a single cupcake. Maybe next year. Anyway, happy one year *heart flutters*

On Friday, I will have successfully completed my eighth year of teaching. It is hard to believe that I have been at it that long. I have truly enjoyed the ride and tonight was a great reason why. It was such an honor to speak at the continuation and see such a great group of students. Before I know it, they will be walking across the high school graduation stage.

What have been some of your successes lately?

Snow, Coffee and Encouragement

One week of school left. Five days, well four now as I write this. I think everyone is ready.

This is what we woke up to this morning. Heavy, wet snow covered just about everything. No Chacos for this girl today. I am once again house sitting and Ted had to sit out all night. We aren't used to having to clean him off in the mornings. Crazy Colorado weather!

With staying in the big city of Fort Morgan, I was able to swing by and pick up some of these for my team teacher and myself. Liquid heaven.

And now I have finished putting the finishing touches on my speech for tomorrow night while listening to Jason Mraz instructing us to "live in the moment." Not a bad day.

Wish me luck for tomorrow and check back for a copy of my two cents I dispensed to the adventurous fifth graders.

2014 Ms. Wilson Award

Every year I have a Newbery contest in my classroom. Students read Newbery books all year long and get credit for them. The student who reads the most wins at the end of the year. They did recognized at the end of the year awards ceremony and their name goes up in the hall of fame. You can read about last years winners here.

The other day we were sitting around (what else do you do with eight days of school left?) talking about books and a few students thought that we should start our own list of "award" books. The books in the running would be the books that I read to them out loud during read aloud. Ok I am game!

Today was the day we voted. Oh how they whined when I told them they had to pick just one!

We had five to choose from:

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
Dog's Don't Tell Jokes by Louis Sachar
Soup on Ice by Robert Newton Peck
Where the Red Fern Grows by  Wilson Rawls
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

I wanted them to pick a book and then give me three reasons why they wanted that book to win. It took them about five minutes and the votes were in.

The winner is....... click here to find out!

Have you read any of these books? Which one would you have picked to win the award?