Currently April

Can I get a hooray for Spring break?  This week was only 4 days long - with a field trip yesterday - and I don't think I've been as tired as I was yesterday since the beginning of school.  After our trip to see a play yesterday I wanted to curl up and go to sleep - so I bolted out of school after the kiddos left and I felt decently cleaned up and headed home to catch some sleep.  I think I must have been out in 5 minutes and slept for a good two hours.  It was sooo needed.  Since it was such a busy week I didn't get a chance to link up with the Currently with Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade and since I knew today was going to be a day off and full of relaxing, it's a perfect day to start the linky.  I've seen so many great things with my teacher blogger friends these last few weeks and their IG posts so I'm excited for some time to get caught up on that reading to see all the wonderful things you guys are doing in your rooms and inspire me in mine!

Listening: Hillsong Young & Free and their CD's have been on repeat the last few days.  All of the songs they have on their albums speak so true to my heart - especially as I was preparing it for this week where we remember His sacrifice for us.  I love their song "Sinking Deep" as well as "The Stand".  If you haven't checked it out - get on it. You won't regret it.

Loving: SPRING BREAK.  We got to leave school 15 minutes after the kids yesterday and have off until Tuesday.  While it's not a full week long break, it's a break none the less and I'll take it.

Thinking: We have so much going on this weekend - something I'm excited about and looking forward too.  My hubs works at our home church in town - Celebrate - as the creative director.  Easter is such a busy time for him and after today, it'll be nice to get to see him more often.  We have plans to eat dinner and go to a movie with some friends tonight - Fast and Furious.  As long as there is candy and popcorn, I'm good to go. :)  Tomorrow, he's playing drums at church for Easter services and it's going to be so awesome to watch all of his hard word come together. I am so proud of him and what he's doing for Easter.  He has such a desire to reach people for Christ and doing so in a creative way is his passion.  Sunday his family will be in town and we will get to see our nieces - YAY!  Monday he took off so we are going to soak up some time together and relax before the week starts again.  Busy weekend but so much to look forward to.

Wanting: The weather this week has been so incredibly nice - minus the amount of wind that has accompanied everyday.  Today, it's a bit chilly and I'm just ready for it to be consistently 70 degrees so I can have the windows open and enjoy warm. 

Needing: Starbucks Peach Green Tea. Period. This was my everyday drink of choice in the summer and it has officially come back to Starbucks for the summer.  I've been asking for months whenever I walk into a Starbucks when it would be coming back and finally got an answer of "April 1st" a few days ago.  Better believe one of those will be in my future this weekend.

Eggs-plain: My name is pretty simple -Surrendering Camie - I've given up my life to do what Jesus has called me to do - teach.  While it's exhausting at times, and somedays I wonder if I can keep doing it, it's what Christ has designed and called me to do.  Everyday I surrender to His will and His design and follow in faith for what He has planned.  Even when that gets hard - because believe me, it does - I know that His plan for me is to keep me safe and not to harm me - to give me a hope and a future.  He is a good God.

Hope your Spring break and Easter weekend is full of family and relaxation, and that you get to remember what Jesus did for you - and how you are deeply loved and covered by His grace!

Five for Friday [March 27]

Phew!  Can't believe how fast this year is flying by.  Whenever Easter comes around the end of the year is here within a blink.  Starting to really get sad to part from my sweeties!  I'm a horrible blogger but am linking up with Doodlebugs Teaching for her Five for Friday!

We did lots of little fun activities with St. Patricks day a few weeks ago - we did some graphing with lucky charms and even did our first directed drawing by First Grade Blue Skies.  We've never done one before (as a class or as a teacher) and oh my goodness they turned out so stinking cute.  We added a cute little story problem about the leprechaun and hung them in the hallway.  We have been given so many compliments on them! We made these little jello snacks as well that had green jello and whip cream on the top.  It was a festive day with a visit from Shammy at the end of the day.

I was so honored this year to be nominated for Teacher of the Year by a wonderful parent in my class.  Such a surprise and very humbling to realize what a difference you are making first hand and to be recognized for efforts in the classroom - not that I need recognition but it was definitely awesome.  Our dessert banquet and the announcement of the winner was this week and it was so much fun to get to eat delicious dessert with the hubs and hang out with my first grade team. I have the best team.

I am slightly obsessed with Starbucks (coffee or anything else really) and was browsing around their website to look for a new thing to try and saw that their Peach Green Tea Lemonade was announced as "BACK!"  I about died on the couch - that was my favorite drink this summer and one that I would drink on a weekly basis - most of the time, more than I needed to but it's okay.  Anyways, I went there today to get myself a little "weekend start pick me up" and they said that they couldn't release and open the syrup until March 30.  UGH.  My heart sank - but, guess where I'll be going on the 30th.

I've been thinking ahead to summer - you know, that mindset of it may be too late to implement any o my new ideas this year but I could try thinking about next year - and have already started a summer list that I'd like to tackle throughout the 3 months of wonderful.  One of the things I want to be more consistent in my classroom is my Daily 5 work on words, and work on writing choices.  I'd like to create a binder with month "masters" it in along with centers (cut, print, laminate heaven) to just put out each month.  Any ideas of sellers for these would be wonderful!  My students this year loved little center ideas and writing prompts so I'm willing to take any ideas!

Students left at 1:00 today and we have a quick little meeting until 1:45 and then we were blessed with a work day until we could leave for our contract.  I got so much done and felt victorious.  Finished prepping for next week, got science tubs out and ready, planned work on writing and word work for the end of the year, messed around with iPads, moved desks - it was great.  I have not felt so accomplished in a long while.  Thankful for administrators who simply give the gift of TIME when it is so needed and valued.

To kick the weekend off, Ryan and I are going to dinner with our closest friends and their sweet baby girl and then hanging out, playing games, and watching movies.  A Friday night never sounded better - and the idea of sleeping in tomorrow makes me want to cry happy tears.

Happy weekend!

Currently: March

It's time for my favorite linky!  Hooray!  I love linking up with Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade for her monthly currently linky.  I can't believe it's already March! Makes me so sad that I only have like 9 weeks left with my firsties!  I've grown to love them and care for them so much.  They're incredible kiddos with the best hearts.  I'm going to soak up our time together before the end of the year.  Where did my second year of teaching go! AH.  Slow down time.

So, here we go - I love the design of this linky by the way.  Hoping to get another blog post in this week so this one might be short - also, the Bachelor is on and I am in love.

Listening: I am in love with this season of the Bachelor.  I watch it every year but I really like Chris and think he's got great intentions - call me crazy.  Also, this episode of "Women Tell All" might be one of my favorite because all the women get to chat out all the drama.  I'm a sucker for reality TV.  I have so much TV I'm sucked in with right now - Survivor, Real World, the Challenge, Catfish.  Told you - I'm a sucker.

Loving: I decided to start REALLY focusing on math workshop after Christmas.  I talked to lots of different teachers who use a math workshop format with Investigations and finally found something that works for me.  My kids are doing so great with it right now.  They love math and sharing their strategies and I am really seeing how they're grown as mathematicians.

Thinking: It's already report card time in our district.  Granted, the report cards are not due until next week but I like having them done before the quarter ends so they're not hanging over my head.  I'm hoping to get them finished up in the next few days while my kiddos are practicing for their music program on Thursday.  All I have left to do is comments and actual posted grades.  But still - report cards suck.

Wanting: Ryan always loves planning a big trip at the end of the school year for us - whether somewhere in the states or somewhere out of the country.  Last year we went to Cancun and he's planning another amazing trip for us again this year.  He loves making us have the best trips while we are able too.  So thankful that he takes the time to plan the best trips and times together.

Needing: My kiddos need some Readers Theatre ideas.  They love to act and pretend and I would love to put that to use in a positive and learning environment.  If anyone has some great readers theatre ideas on TPT or blogs let me know!

Spring Break Plans: Husband and I may take a weekend trip to the cities to do some shopping and hit up IKEA as we are redoing our master bedroom - or, we may stay home and relax and clean.  Which, more than likely will be the case.  But that's okay! :)

Thanks for checking out my currently!  Until next time!