Thankful Thursdays

Lately I have been thankful for:

 

 

Conversations with little boys and puppies.

Sample conversation:
Me: Hey, do you have a girlfriend?
Little boy: Nope, but I am fixin' to go rope me one!

 

Country sunsets and friends gathered together.

 

Rainy summer mornings with a cup of chai in your favorite mug.

 

Artistic sisters who help decorate your walls.

Special Delivery

Today my projects were delivered! I had to do some rearranging and my living room is still a mess, but I am one happy person!

 

AND the magnetic paint did work once I tried smaller magnets.

 

 

I keep forgetting how big this pallet is! Might have to do some more rearranging! I put some of my favorite books and my Willow Tree figures.

 



I am one happy person!

 



P.S I finally got rid of my old, broken recliner and may be in the market for a new chair soon. I big, comfy cozy one that is good for curling up and reading in!

Bucket List Check Off ~ Door Project and Beer Margaritas

Oh what a busy Friday! I was able to check off not one, but TWO items off of my summer bucket list! I started the journey with my door project. I have had my eye out for an old discarded door, and was graciously given one by some good friends.

First, I cleaned the door up and picked the side that I wanted to feature. Also made a plan for what I wanted to do exactly with it.
I had chalkboard, magnetic and picture hanging in mind.

After a run to Greeley to get supplies (and coffee!) I started the process of turning this boring, old door into a piece of art for my living room.

I got magnetic paint and chalkboard paint. The lady at the store suggesting that I paint with the magnetic paint first, applying three thin coats and then a few coats with the chalkboard paint.


Stirring the paint took much longer than I thought it would. It was like someone had made hot chocolate and put more of the powder in than water.

Once I finally got the paint all mixed, it was time to apply the coats. Thankfully the paint dried quickly and the job didn't take long.

I had some help while painting. Thankfully we were able to paint in the shop and not out in the hot sun. It was hot enough.

Finished! Sadly, the magnetic paint did not seem to work. I need to try some smaller magnets to see if that will help. It wouldn't be such a big deal, but the magnetic paint was the most expensive of the paint. I may look for clips to screw in to hold pictures. We will have to see about that one. I will post a picture of the door when I get it home and some decorations on it!

 

Picked out some flowers to plant for the summer. Now I just need to get some pots!

Finally the second check off on the list: beer margaritas! Figured that it could be pretty tasty, or dumped down the drain and the recipe tossed. It is a keeper!

Ingredients
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
12 fluid ounces tequila
12 fluid ounces water
12 fluid ounces beer
ice
1 lime, cut into wedges
Directions
Pour limeade, tequila, water, and beer into a large pitcher. Stir until well-blended, and limeade has melted. Add plenty of ice, and garnish with lime wedges. Adjust with additional water, if needed.

 



Best part about these drinks was sitting on the porch swing and looking at the beautiful full moon.

A day full of *heart flutters* all around.

Thankful Thursday #3

Lately I have been thankful for:

 

Beautiful weather allowing one to lay out in the grass and read a book.

 

Walking buddies

 

 

Friends who make deals.

 

 

Celebrating friends and getting our toes done.

 

 

Day #2 At the Ranch

Day two is about to close for my time here at the ranch. Day two also fell on No T.V Tuesday. This did cause a small challenge. If I had been at home, I would have found plenty to do (I mean there is always laundry to do,) but with being here, it was harder to occupy my time.

The dogs and I went on a walk again today in spite of the wind.

I sat and read a book on the porch swing again.

Worked on my pallet project in the cool evening.

 

 

Not a bad day!

Bucket List Check Off ~ Pallet Project

When I made my bucket list, I didn't realize I was going to get so much done so quickly! Today I was able to check off yet another item off of my list. My pallet project. I found an idea of turning a pallet into a bookshelf. I wanted to do this for my classroom and may still do another one for my house since I like it so much!

A friend donated a pallet to me from his work back in April, but it kept snowing and I wasn't able to work on it. Finally with school being out and no snow in the forecast, I decided to tackle the task.

Before

I tried to take off the boards that I didn't need on my own, but wasn't having much success. I haven't worked with hammers and wood a lot in life. Plus I didn't want to do any damage to the word that I needed to keep in whole. So I had to wait for assistance.


Thankfully Garth is pretty handy and knows how to tear apart a pallet!



 

 

 

 

Half way there!

 

Finished!

 

I am so stinkin happy right now! It was much easier than I originally thought it would be! I can't wait to put it in my classroom and display books. My heart couldn't possibly flutter anymore!

AND....we were able to save a few of the pieces of wood to use for other projects.

Bucket List Check Off~ A Puzzle

First item checked off the Summer Bucket List is finish a puzzle! We finished this one in about 24 hours. This is my kind of puzzle! I like ones where I can pick up a piece, look at the box and see the general area that it goes in.

This isn't a very good picture of the puzzle (having uber issues with pictures tonight.) There is a lot of the puzzle that didn't make it into the picture. I could try again taking another picture, but it has already been torn apart and put back in the box. Another puzzle has already been started in its place!

Day #1 At the Ranch

For a whole week I will be house sitting for some friends who live and work on a ranch. I am very excited about this since I consider it my own little get away. There are trees everywhere and the whole place just makes my *heart flutters* I will be in charge of three dogs, five chickens, two horses and a few kittens and their mamas.

I didn't sleep well last night and I am not sure why. It is very quiet here (unless the dogs are barking at some unseen thing to my eyes out the window) and I don't know if that was throwing me off or just the fact that it was a new place. I have slept here before, so who knows. I was up and awake about every hour and a half. At four o clock I gave up and read a little bit. Once the sun started to come up, I fell back asleep for another three hours.



My sleeping companion.



When I finally woke up for the day I contemplated laying in bed for awhile reading since the bed was so comfortable (another reason I couldn't understand why I didn't sleep well.) Then realized that half the ranch was excited to have me there, and I didn't  know who would stop by when. I wasn't ready to have anyone here see me in my jammers, so I got up, showered and got dressed.

Since it was a beautiful morning, the dogs joined me for a walk. So nice to get out into the fresh air and move around. I collected a few pieces of old wood that might be turned into a craft. My walk was cut short when it started to sprinkle. I didn't want to be miles from the house if and when it started to down poor. I got back to the house just in time!

I sat out on the porch on the porch swing reading and watching it rain. I don't know if the morning could have been any better!

 

 

Around lunch time a former student who lives on the ranch came to visit. We made popcorn and watched a few movies. It was nice to spend some time with her.

The night was finished with dinner and working on a puzzle.

Not a bad way to start of the summer break!

My Personal MacGyver

Due to some error on my part, I needed some help with my porch swing and making it functional. My dad, being the handy man that he is, helped me out with this task! He came bringing my sister, coffee and pizza for lunch.

First we put straps across the seat.

 

 

Then some across the back.

 

 

The peanut gallery watching on.

 

Success!!

 

Now I can sit out on my swing and sip a cold beverage, read a book or just be! It is going to be a good summer! Thank you Dad for helping me out once again and thank you Erin Molly for the entertainment value that you bring to any situation!



 

Summer 2013 Bucket List

It is official! Summer break has started for me! I checked out of my classroom around 3:00 today with big plans ahead of me! I have complied a nice list of hopes and dreams for the summer. Some are things that I have put off all year long and need to get done, where some of them are new, fun plans! A few things I have done before, but make my *heart flutter* and need to be experienced again.

• Go hiking
• Make smores
• Make pillow cases
• Finish a puzzle
• Go on a picnic to Jackson Lake
• Eat at a new restaurant
• Explore Georgetown
• Have lunch in Loveland
• Put together clothes pins to display 4th graders proud work
• Clean out and make pretty my guest bedroom
• Pallet project
• Create my own sea glass
• Chalkboard frames
• Complete the "5 Coffee Shops that Get Us Talking" adventure with Erin Molly
• Sip beer margaritas on the porch swing
• Make flash cards for my math class
• Door project
• Move the bakers rack to my bedroom (not worth blogging about)
• Eat at Jim's Wings in Fort Collins
• Get lost at Cheesecake Therapy
• Make Raspberry Cordial with a kindred spirit
• Have lunch with my dad on his lunch break

Ok that is it for now, but the list is likely to change and grow. Here's to adventure and summer break!
What is on your bucket list for the summer?

Thankful Thursday #2

Lately I have been thankful for:

 

Trees that finally bloom.

 

 

Extra recess in the sunshine and swinging with the students.

 

 

Birthday treats with sprinkles.

 

New beginnings.

 

I am also thankful for the class that I had this year. I had a lot of fun with this group of scholars and laughed a lot of the year. I am also very thankful for all the little hands that helped me get so much work done!

 

Awards

“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.” 
-C.S Lewis

Somehow the end of the year is upon us and it is time to recognize the students for their hard work over the year. When I moved to 4th grade five years ago, I started a reading challenge in hopes to get the students reading some good literature. It is called the Newbery Challenge. The student who reads the most Newbery books over the year wins the challenge and their name goes on the wall of fame.

The Newbery award is given to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children," each year. Some of these books have become some of my favorite books. My top three choices at the moment are: "Walk Two Moons," "The One and Only Ivan," and "Island of the Blue Dolphins." I try to encourage the students to read as many of them as possible.

This year is a special year for the Newbery Challenge. I will be rewarding a tie and giving out two rewards and posting two names on the wall! Two very special girls made an agreement on their own to tie and both win. It was down to the end and they were going back and forth between who was in the lead and the whole grade was anxious every time one of them would finish a book.

One day they asked me what would happen if they tied. I told them that they both would win. The conversation happened without me being present, but I wish that I could have heard it. To me, it showed character and respect for their classmate/friend to agree to this arrangement. Even more because it was thought of and decided on by them alone. It truly made me proud to see this unfold. *heart flutter*

I am honored to have taught these two girls and share the love of reading with them.

Each girl will be receiving a book and their favorite treat.

Back in Time

I want one!

 

I have often stated that I was born into the wrong era. Don't get me wrong, I love me some current helpful inventions; bathrooms, running water, DVR, Ipod, etc. But I love the romantic feeling of older times. My favorite genre for reading is historical fiction and it makes my *heart flutter*

 

Today we went on our last field trip for the year and found ourselves at an outdoor museum with several different buildings. I enjoyed listening to the kids make connections to what they learned in Social Studies to what they were seeing.

 

The pictures I took were some of the things that made my *heart flutter* and got my imagination going.

How does one get up on such a bike?

The kids could pan for "gold" and keep three of the pieces they found. Who knew that such an activity would occupy 38 fourth graders so well!

 

I LOVE these old mailboxes!

 





 

 



Mother's Day Letters

In case you haven't noticed, Mother's Day is this weekend. A time when we recognize the women in our lives who have touched us and loved on us in a way that only a mother can.

Today I was out shopping and looking at all the pretty flowers, thinking about moms. I was thinking about the moms in my life and also the mother that I might be. I look forward to that day. Once a student asked me if I was sad that I wasn't a mom and another student pipped up and said that I was a mom, to all of my students. How true that is. I may not have my own children to celebrate this day with, but every year I have a role as fill in mother for about eight hours a day.

I moved on from my flower gazing and deep thoughts to continue on my day. As I was checking out, a young man about the age of 13 or 14 smiled at me and said, "Happy Mother's Day." *heart flutter* He had no way of knowing my current thoughts or the impact that his words would have on me.

I have three mothers that I would like to honor this weekend. Each one has played a vital role in my life in one way or another. In no way was I able to put into words all that I really want to say to all of them.

Dear Mom- You gave me life. Thank you. For the first 18 years of my life you taught me several lessons and helped mold me into the person I am today. Thank you. I have enjoyed our many laughs and can't listen to the song "Whoop There It Is" without chuckling and thinking of you. I look forward to those games of dominos.

Dear Sandy- If I was home, I would give you sunflowers and eat lemon bars with you in one of the most beautiful places in the valley. Thank you for everything that you have been and continue to be to me. Not a day goes by that I don't think about you and miss you. You are still my Blue Box Mama.

Dear OMM- My other Mother Marilyn. For the past seven years you have held the place of a mother to me. You have helped me in so many ways. I came to Wiggins with your help and continued to be blessed by you since. I have learned so much from you both as a teacher and as a person. Thank you for all the dinners, chats and venting sessions. I will miss seeing you every day at school, but look forward to what is in store for you.

To all the moms out there, thank you for loving on your children and those that aren't yours. You are making an impact!

Play Day

*Heart Flutter* I love to see things like this!

 

Today we had our Play Day (field day) at the school. Thankfully we had good weather until the very last event and even then it was short lived. I had a lot of fun today and pretty sure that I won the teacher of the year award for participating in the dance station. I was pretty cool for knowing the Macarena. I had to explain to them that I wasn't much older than they are when it came out. Doing it was like ridding a bike!

 

The students were very excited to show me all their tricks and accomplishments over the year. Each station was something that they had worked on at some point during the year. I was impressed with their mad hula hoop and jump rope skills!

 

Amazed at how well they get along while jump roping!

 

Thankful Thursday

Lately I have been thankful for:

 

Teacher appreciation gifts.

 

Card games that help students practice their math skills.

 

 

The Tiger Parent Organization that spoils us all year long, but especially during Teacher Appreciation Week.

 

 

Having friends to discuss books with. Books are meant to be shared.