Math Chips to the rescue!

First off...I just finished watching Desperate Housewives from this last weekend...
Ummmmm......

I didn't stop crying the WHOLE gosh darn time!!! Really?? lol. It's just  a show, I know. But I couldn't help it.

Anyway - getting on track.

Today, I about banged my head against the table.
In Math I'm working on place value through the 100s and 1,000s. Doing a lot of +/- 100 and 10 type stuff (in case you couldn't tell in my centers).
During small group, I was working with one of my groups doing a review of just the 10s.
Oh. My. Gosh.
I have been doing this ALL stinkin' year in our calendar math!!!
I had a few lil' ones who had absolutely NO idea how to do it. Really?? Come on!! And I tried everything: 100s chart visual, getting up and moving, making a little saying. They just weren't getting it.
So I told them to go back to their seat. I was getting frustrated, and I could tell they were about to break down. We both needed a break.

Then, after my next group, I looked over and saw my chips.
DING!
Girls, come on back! Let's try something new.
Seriously?? Within like 3 or 4 more, they got it!!! It was the 10s that was messing them up - did they forget what place value was what? Was this a harder concept than I thought??
I don't know. But they got it now!!

The little green and yellow things are the chips...greens are 10s and 1s are yellow (no, it doesn't match what's on the board - it was from the previous problem). 

I was so excited they FINALLY got it! Let's see how they do when we come back. lol.

Anyway, I wanted to share my chips with you...there are 1s, 10s, and 100s. Copy them off on different color paper and laminate. Keep them in a pouch for small group or centers. They are also GREAT for adding and subtracting - without and WITH regrouping, so they can see that they have to trade out a ten for 10 ones and such...

Ok....it's official!!

I'm on Spring Break now.

What are my plans???

Well...Monday, I FINALLY get to visit my hair lady to touch up my roots...

No seriously.

You have no idea.

I haven't had my hair done (except for the trim in January) since school started in AUGUST!!!

No joke!! lol

I have some SERIOUS roots.

But, that was one thing I gave up, since I was home for two months without pay. 

What's funny, is that they look like brown roots...however, when I used to dye my hair dark brown, my roots grew in BLOND!! ha!! Have you ever seen blond roots?? It looks kind of funny.

My other plans for the break?

Beach baby, beach baby, there in the sand!! (you know the song, right?!!)

This is me saying "bye-bye schoolio!!"
(I had my hat in my room from field day yesterday - no, I don't wear a hat to school..lol.)

I also plan on gettin' my running on in the mornings and working out some - really need to get back into it!!!

AND I want to work on my Laura Numeroff Unit. She's my author next month, and we'll be doing a whole week of just her (and sprinkle her in for the rest of the month), so I need to start working on that too!

Hope y'all have a great Friday night!

I'll be catching up on my DVR shows (hubs is at an auction again tonight).