Me Gusta Skippy!

First off....

Have you been to Kohls lately??? 

Well..that's where I went to get the decor for our guest bath renovation...

THANKS for all the kind words about it!! 

It's actually the bathroom the girls use (well, A for right now..lol), and everyone was like - do it in a cute kid theme! BUT, it's also the bathroom that gets used the most when people come over, even though we have the 1/2 bath...so I didn't want the men to have to pee in a Little Mermaid themed toilet or whathaveyou...lol

Sorry, I digress...

You know they always have books and animals up front, right??

Well NOW they have Skippy!!!

I LOVE Skippy!!!

So of COURSE I had to get one for school...

along with one of the books I didn't have yet - 

However...I THINK I might have to get another Skippy...

Looks like A has confiscated him...lol..

Yes, she still loves her "Gobbles" and apparently, since B can't wear hers yet, Skippy needed to...lol

Anyway.

I got a call the other day that I needed to go put my room together a little bit because they were going to use my room for Jump Start (2 weeks of summer school before school starts)...so we had to go yesterday since it was the only day we had to go before we leave....

B worked so hard, she was tuckered!! lol

Well, it didn't take long, but 15 boxes were emptied, 8 boxes were shoved into the cabinets, 11 boxes still have my classroom books in it, and I still have my rolly-carts that still need to be unpacked.

But my room is almost unpacked...not bad! Just need to decorate.

A lot of my teacher friends were jealous that I got to go in already to unpack...but I wonder...

I'm not keen on other people teaching in my room - are you??? I'm just so OCD about things.

That's why I didn't unpack my classroom books..or decorate...I don't know who's in my room for Jump Start...but hopefully, they will be kind to me. lol. If it's anyone who knows me, then they know what I'm like about things. haha!

I wanted to take pictures of the aftermath for you, but I got so excited that it was such a clear day, so we bolted out of there~ so we could have lunch and head to the beach...

because...

Yesterday B turned 6 months old!!!

Where ELSE do you celebrate birthdays?! lol

Happy SIX months to my happy, beautiful baby girl!!!

I can't believe it.

I was laying down with A in my arms yesterday and I was amazed that she's going to be THREE years old soon...REALLY??? WHERE did the time go???

ok - I'm off to catch up on emails before we go to the poolio today!

woohoo!!

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Bath Crashers - Ross Style!

We are FINALLY finished with the guest bathroom!!!

So I get to link up to Tara's Made-It Monday - yay!

Well, not really TOTALLY finished, but enough to show you.

I still have some decorations I want to get/make...but it takes time...

So, to start with, let me show you what it WAS...

And what was wrong with it....aside from the color scheme, which was NOT working in this bathroom...

Now mind you, the unfinished painted walls have been like that for OVER A YEAR!! lol

We ran out of paint, and I guess I just didn't like it enough to go get more...lol

So...we started painting...

Let the record show, that I DID paint, but then hubs came home and he didn't approve of my painting job, so he took over...lol

...took down the huge mirror and ugly shell lights...which left holes in the wall...

...put up wainscot and chair rail...

and VOILA!

So the new color scheme is gray walls with white chair rail and wainscot and yellow and white accents.

I LOVE it!!!

yay!! it's finished!!!

(Tara, I hope you don't mind me posting my Made-It Monday on a Thursday...I will link up next week to it!)

now....onto the "cabana" bathroom...lol...well, it WOULD be a cabana bath...if we had a pool.

But we don't.

YET!

So, I guess...it's just a 1/2 bath for right now..lol

OOH....

ORRRRRR we could do the girls' room - oh the wheels are turning, my friends.

And I want to leave you with THIS beautiful picture...

after THREE full days of rain, the sun FINALLY came out around dinner time and the blue skies were above us!!!

LOOK!!

THAT, my friends, is a shadow, that was cast by, none other than THE SUN!!!

It was a BEAUTIFUL bike ride....to Publix....to get my ice cream.

And cereal for breakfast.

What?

We all have priorities, right??

And they fit nicely in my little basket.

haha!!!

and one last thing....

I finally finished my sports A.R. pack - so it's up and ready for y'all!

28

Picking Books

So...

there's a Daily 5 "book study" going on in blogland....I'm sure you've seen it.

I don't do D5.

I like my system - it works for me, and it's a little more involved than what they talk about..

BUT I do a lot of the things that they talk about in D5....

And "shopping" for books everyday is something they need to learn how to do, and do it right.

They have a hard time picking books that are on their level...

In the beginning of 2nd grade, it's hard for them to learn to A.R. stickers on books. But we just keep doing it, and eventually some catch on and help out the others.

I don't put my books in my classroom library level...mine is organized by authors (for fiction) or subjects (nonfiction) just like a real library is...I want them to get used to it, especially since our library is open for them to go to everyday to get books (are you jealous, Kristin?? hehe).

I like to refer to my sign (just updated it) to help them when it comes to picking their level of books...even though I try to teach them to pick on their A.R. level, they still need to be able to tell if it's too easy or hard for them...

Download your FREEBIE in my TpT store...HERE

(I know I have a pirate and sports A.R. pack, so if you want this poster in that theme, let me know, and I'll do it.)

Gosh - I get all happy when I see pretty colors like that..lol

And I came across a CUTE stop watch for a goal that we're reaching for...

from Marsha {HERE} - 

I don't do Daily 5 in my room, but we do read EVERY day - and they have to to read for 15 minutes from day one...lol.

I'm mean. I know.

Although, I'm sure that'd be different if I taught K or 1st.

But, for 2nd and 3rd, I have never had any problems getting them to do it. I think because I'm CONSTANTLY moving around the room, conferencing with the kids - that's like my guided reading time too. I will have to do a post about how I do my small groups/daily conferencing/centers...

But anyway....I really like using that sign for other things that we are going to be timed on - like when centers are over, or if we are taking a timed test (district writing tests are timed), or what ever...I like it - thanks Marsha! I'll have to make me one that's blank.

In other news....the chair....

Hubs has vetoed the black chair idea. lol

He's pretty artsy-fartsy, so sometimes I listen to him -hehe.

So, yesterday, I painted her white.

Now, I just gotta think of HOW to decorate her...ugh!!

7

Addictions, crafts, and tears

So, I have a little addiction.....

Sunnies...lol



These are only my Crush sunnies....there are about 4 more pairs laying around in various places...

Crush Sunnies are my fave!!

You can't get them in the stores (unless you're in HI)...I buy them online because they are based out of Hawaii. My BIL turned me onto them. (my sister and her family live in Hawaii)
(Corinna, do you have these in your area??)


Here is their FB page, they have weekly deals - and even still, they are pretty cheap!!

AND they have great customer service....I had one pair that just kept snapping above the nose (they were snapping on their own, not because I did anything to them), and all I had to do was take a picture to email them, and they sent me a new pair...this happened like 3 times...it must have been a faulty box or something, but they were SUPER about it - and just kept sending me replacements.

(and no, I'm not getting anything for telling you about them)

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Part of my summer projects is to take THIS chair....



and repaint it (for the 3rd time) into a beachy theme...sigh....lol.

I kind of like having a black seat cover, so I won't be able to see the dirtiness of it - lol...

SOOOOO....my question is this....do you think if I paint it all black and then go back over it with teal, green, yellow, orange colors to paint flowers, suns, surfboards, or whathaveyou, that it'll still look beachy??

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So this was yesterday's picture of Debby....



That might LOOK scary, but it was really just a lot of bark and no bite...and prevented us from going out...

Today, it looks more like this...



There's nothing really over us according to the map, but it's still pretty windy....although I DO see some clear spots in the sky, JUST enough to give me hope!
Hope is gone...it's POURING again...
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Yesterday, hubs had to go to a viewing for a Fire Fighter that passed the other day. So sad...
The guy was only 50 years old.
So young.

He didn't die while on duty, so there's not much reporting on it, but it has made a HUGE impact on the FF community.



Do you see the black stripe on his shield on his chest? That's what they do when one has "fallen"

They also do it to the trucks....




So, hug your kids and loved ones a little tighter tonight, because you really just never know.

11

Stormy weather blues...

First off, this whole "staying inside because it's raining" ordeal for two days straight is REALLY not fun when you have an anxious 2 year old who NEVER. STOPS. MOVING.

lol

Thank you, Debbie (tropical storm, Debbie, that is)

That arrow is where I live...but this seriously is going to go on for all. week. long....

WHAT am I going to do with myself?? AND with my girls?? It's not like I can get much done for myself with A around needing my attention...lol.

Pray for me and my sanity. lol

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Ok, so I REALLY wanted to link with Tara's Made-It Monday Party...except, the universe is against me and my crafting today....

First, when I went to JoAnn's, they didn't have ANY fabric in like a tropical/beachy theme that I was looking for...

BUT, I did find a few things that I could use...

But wouldn't you know it??

As soon as I started sewing, my sewing machine went all "kuh-put" on me....

oh jeesh...

Oh well...

And the bathroom isn't finished, so I can't show you that yet :(

BUT, I did got to Party City today - thanks to a fabulous comment left for me yesterday!

I got some cutouts that I'm going to lamenate, and hang around the room - though I might need to go get another pack...lol

And some green fans that I can hang with the paper lanterns I showed you the other day...

And I was thinking about maybe laminating the orange flower and using it as some sort of "message board" - what do you think??? Ideas??

But, I really like this little find:

I'm going to use this as my author table -


Yeah- that's what it was last year...though, I DID eventually put a cheap dollar store table cloth on it - but I think that the flower fringe will be fun! I'll see if I really like it when I get it all set up I guess...lol

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NEXT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Someone posted this on FB today...

It's so good to remember this....

I guess I could say the same thing about my laundry that I HATE folding and putting away (that I was talking about yesterday...no...I never did it...lol).

And THIS song has been stuck in my head for like 4 weeks... I LOVE it...lol.

So I thought I'd get it stuck in your head. :)

You're welcome! ha!

16

Trip to Hobby Lobby

 So the other day, I was in Hobby Lobby (I know, DANGEROUS, dangerous....are you singing?? lol)

And I turned the corner and entered into THIS aisle.....

I mean - how can you NOT be instantly happy when you see all these colors?!?!

(see B in the cart there?? lol)

It really brightened my day - hehe...pun intended...

My only problem??

WHICH color scheme do I want to do!??!

ahhhh!!

Well....I ended up with a blue/green/yellow scheme...

I think these will be perfect to hang in the beginning of the year before we start hanging our own crafts

Well, my friends, today is a very drab day.

But after DAYS of beach, pool, and traveling, I guess it's good for us to stay in for a day.

Besides...

There's laundry to me done.

Bleh.

I ABHOR laundry...

I don't throwing it into the washer or dryer...it's the folding and putting away I don't like.

I'd show you the MASSIVE pile on our bed that needs to be put away, but I don't want you to get that image of me stuck in your head...lol

16

Mermaids, Birthdays, and A.R.

We've had a busy, busy few days!!

Yesterday, we had birthday party to go to...it was Little Mermaid themed.






We LOVE The Little Mermaid!!

It was my FAVorite growing up.

eh...who am I kidding? It's STILL my fave...lol. I can sing all the songs, and say all the words.

This girl is a swimmin' fool!!

Doesn't matter what the body of water is  - beach, pool, bathtub, puddle...lol.

She's a happy girl in the water....just like her mama!

The birthday host gave goggles to everyone who came as a "thank you" gift...

A LOVED them...lol

She wore them for the rest of the day...



hahahaha!!!

Sorry, I just HAD to show you....

but that brings me to a question I've had for a while.

Why has it become customary that we, as birthday party hosts, have to give out "thank you" gifts to the guests?
I mean, we spend all this money on the food, decorations, possibly a rental of some sort, and all kinds of other things - I just don't get it.
Don't we give out thank you cards??
Can someone let me in on this secret? I mean, for our thank you gifts, it's usually a craft that the kids do while they are at our parties...I mean, that's good, right??

Anyway, back on track....

Then we went up to St. Augustine for a bit - remember??

I went to Flagler College up there....BEAUTIFUL college.

I still have friends up there...

One of my friends was having a birthday party.

So we went, but we also visited some other friends...

We had lunch at the place I worked while going to school up there -


And A got to play with some of her friends...ok, a LOT of her friends...and swim in the pool - AGAIN..

Check out my "totally 80s" girl...hehe




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squirrel~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last Monday, Tara posted her Made it Monday craft she did...and they were birthday tags, owl themed.
So SUPER cute!!
But I'm not doing an Owl theme...

I'm doing the beach theme...
So I decided to make my own :)

Like the circles??? I got all techy with my hub's Corel Draw program...I feel all special now..lol

And here are the surfboard tags.

What do you do with them??

Well, you can attach them to whatever you get for the kids, but I was going to hole punch each end of the surfboard and then "thread" a silly straw or pencil through both holes...and you can do the same with the circles.

You can get them from my TpT for free :)

AND

I FINALLY got around to making my pirate A.R. theme pack into a beach/surfing theme :)

I absolutely LOVE it!!!

There are surfer bookmarks with A.R. levels, genre and series graphs, reading logs and A.R. quiz logs, bulletin board pieces so they can "surf" to each island as they grow in A.R. points, monthly goal sheets and a certificate if/when they reach that month's goal, a poster for skill focus during reading (with suggestions), and a letter to the parents.

If you would like a different theme, I am open to suggestions!!
Also, I know some of you do reading counts, and I was trying to make this fit for that as well, but I don't know enough. If you are someone who wants this set made for Reading Counts, please let me know and we can work it out!

And I leave you with THIS smile...



I mean, seriously....how can that NOT make you smile?!?!

17