Six word Saturday

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow could change!

If I make the choice then tomorrow does not have to be the same as today. 

Linking with six word Saturday-Show My Face

Mailbox Thursday

Here are your new classroom-preschool activities from Mailbox:

Yummy Patterning Practice: What Fun!

Cereal isn't just for breakfast anymore—it's for patterning practice too! Give each child a napkin. Then place a small amount of two distinctly different kinds of cereal on each napkin. Also give each child a strip of paper sectioned into squares similar to the one shown. Encourage each child to place a piece of cereal in each square to make a simple pattern. Then have him munch on his treat. 

A Leafy Letter

Take little ones on a leaf-collecting walk to prepare for this cooperative letter-formation activity. After collecting the leaves, tape a sheet of bulletin board paper to a table. Then draw an oversize letter L outline on the paper. Children name the letter and its sound and then glue leaves inside the outline. 

Fall Fun for Circle Time

Gather enough brown pom-poms (nuts) so that each child has four. Explain that squirrels can remember where nuts are hidden long after they've placed them there. Then have each student hide four nuts throughout the classroom. Later in the day, remind youngsters of the fact mentioned above. Can each child find the four that he or she hid?

A Rare Smile

My son is a preteen as he informed me last week on his birthday and rarely smiles. So, I took advantage of this moment. I love the smile.

MidWeek Blues

I see you

Linking with: The Dusty Cellar: Midweek Blues

Monday Blah

I'm trying to find my energy and motivation. I wake up in the morning, and I'm tired. I work all day, sucking down coffee to keep up with my little ones. I go to the pool, eat dinner and go to bed. I seem to just be going through the motions of my life with very little reaction or excitement to the world around me. Where oh where, has my motivation gone? 

Friendship Friday

Question Of The Week
What do you love most about Autumn?

I love the leaves, the scarfs and more then anything I love hooded sweatshirts and comfy sweatpants with a fantastic cup of hot chocolate. 

Do you do anything special to mark the arrival of this season?

Well it is still 104 here in Arizona, so I have not done anything yet. But when it starts getting cooler, I will find my favorite sweatshirt and pull it out of the winter wear. I will go to the store and purchase some holiday hot chocolate, usually vanilla and read a fantastic book for the day.

Linking with: Friendship Friday and you should stop by Rich Faith Rising

Six Word Saturday

I wish I needed a scarf!

http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/snow.html

Okay, I love the warm weather. Anyone who knows me knows that. They know that 104 degrees is okay with my. However, at this point I'm a little ready for a little cooler weather. It has been a long summer, and I would love some 80's.  But I'm grateful it's at least not going to snow. 

 

Linking with Show My Face

Classroom Activities

I went to Fry's today and I'm hoping to help my student make a modified example of this craft. I thought we could put numbers on them or put letters of the students name. Any ideas?

Mailbox-Fall in your classroom

Type: center/center mat

Skill: visual discrimination

Visit your local craft store and purchase garlands or stems of silk leaves in fall colors. Cut the leaves from the garland and put them in a sensory tub. Add some real pinecones in various sizes. Then invite youngsters to explore! Encourage them to sort the pinecones by size and the leaves by color, size, or shape!

Math Tip: sorting tray 

Find a holiday one-to bring in Fall

Looking for the perfect tool for sorting activities? Use an inexpensive sectioned serving tray. Since the tray has several sections, it's perfect for sorting objects by various attributes, such as size, shape, and color!

Storage Tip: construction paper

For quick and easy access to different colors of construction paper, try this! Label a separate hanging file folder for each color. Store the paper in the appropriate folders in a file cabinet or crate. The paper will stay in good condition, and you'll have the colors you need at your fingertips!

Midweek Blue

Macen is practicing his kicks on the couch. Today we walked around the block with the dogs, walked around the block while he rode his bike and jogged around the block once. He was still wound up tighter then a wire. Can't wait for swim practice and school tomorrow!

Linking with: The Dusty Celler-MidWeek Blues

Birthday Parties

A nacho bar celebration helped ring in birthdays for my mom and my son. 
We of course forgot the plates, drinks and cups. Put we had tons of food. It was awesome, thanks Misha for the idea. And the Cheesecake was amazing.

My sister, dad, my youngest

My mom is my best friend, my co-author, my support, my inspiration and my super hero. She is amazing and I feel honored to be her daughter. She never fails to be there when I need her. She pushes herself to the limits.  I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have my mom. My favorite is our weekly writing times, where we get to talk, drink coffee and work on our next book together. 

Happy Birthday Mom! 

I hope you have the best day ever.

Fall

I'm not usually one for sentimental, or holiday decorations. My husband on the other hand asks about putting up our Christmas tree as soon as the fall decorations are in store. So, pretty much the third week into August he is looking to beautify our house, with the smells and colors of the holidays. Last weekend we went to Costco and they already had a ton of Halloween and Christmas stuff out, including the delicious butter cookies. So, of course we had to buy a tin.
Anyway, this weekend my neighbor was putting up fall decorations and I got the biggest desire to go and buy a whole bunch of fall decorations. I want pumpkins, and wreaths, and all things brown, and orange and fall. I want apples, and straw and a fall wreath on my door. A big welcome mat that let's everyone stopping by that are house is ready for the holidays. However, the feeling passed and instead my son, got window markers and has created a beautiful picture on my backdoor instead. Pumpkins and straw will have to wait for another day. But some day soon, I will find that isle again. I will venture down that road where decorations creep onto my walls and windows so my children and husband can get into the spirit.

I also am in the mood lately to crochet things. I have found this hat online that looks complicated but very cool. I am going to search for a pattern and make an effort. Loving all things fall and cooler weather.

               Shoot it is already Sunday Night!

Well needless to say I'm not ready for Monday. I should be, because I had plenty of time to get ready for it. But I'm not and know it's 8:25 at night and I'm just know getting to the business part of my weekend. Oh, well this is the way it is. Happy Sunday!

Linking with: Show My Face

Friday

Some Teaching Ideas

I realize it has been awhile since I have posted any of mailboxes teaching ideas, so here are some just in case you need something new to keep those little ones busy.

 I thought this was way awesome!

Cool Apple Coasters

Mailbox

Materials:

• 1 clear plastic yogurt lid
• green construction paper
• red yarn
• glue

Directions

1. Squeeze a shallow pool of glue into the lid.
2. Press the yarn into the glue to create a spiral pattern.
3. Cut out green leaves and a stem; then glue the cutouts onto the apple. Allow the glue to dry.
4. To use, turn the coaster upside down (yarn side down) and set a drink on the coaster.

Teacher Tips

• Use a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove the date on the yogurt lid.
• Laminate the green paper for durability. This also makes it easy for children to cut out shapes from the paper.
• Use these coasters for cold drinks only!
• If desired, attach magnetic tape to each apple to create a decorative magnet.

Fall Craft: acorns

Jazz up a fall window display with an assortment of these interesting acorns!

Materials for one:

• 2 identical large brown construction paper acorns
• scissors
• resealable sandwich bag
• 1 tbsp. clear hair gel

Setup:

With the acorn shapes together, cut out the middle of both so that the openings are smaller than the size of the sandwich bag.

Steps:

1. Put glitter, sequins, and hair gel in the sandwich bag. (Remove the air and seal the bag.)
2. Press and gently squeeze the bag to distribute the contents.
3. Position the bag over the opening of one of the acorns and tape down the edges.
4. Glue the remaining acorn atop the first.
5. Decorate the acorn cap as desired.
6. Glue the cap to the acorn.

Happy Birtday Son

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON! 

My son was born on September 12th. 

I woke up in the hospital on the fateful day of Sept. 11th where I had been off and on for a week. I watched the horror unfold as I wrestled with the excitement that soon I would be a mommy, while being scared to death that I was bringing a child into this world with crazy people that hijacked planes and killed innocent individuals. Of course less then twelve hours from my delivery, I guess technically at that point it wasn't up for discussion.

 The towers fell, chaos ensued around us and eventually the pain ripping through my abdomen required me on the second day to shut off the devastating news and focus on the task at hand. While New York fell apart and the rest of the world was trying to understand the details my oldest son made his loud entry into this world. Ten fingers, and ten toes, my perfect baby boy. "How lucky I was," kept running through my brain as my heart mourned for the loss of Americans. The unnecessary loss of life.

 Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday

As, that fateful day of September 11th happened yesterday, and while I cerebrate my son's birthday I appreciate those who fought on that day and continue to fight for the freedom I have. For the world that now my son is a part of. I remember those who chose to say no to violence and say yes to peace and those who are still fighting for that.