Made it Monday {Family Tree}

Many of you know my Grandma is not doing well, hospice has been put in place and she is taking one day at a time.  Last week the boys and I went to Florida for a quick visit and put to work :)  My Grandma wanted a Family Tree painted on her living room wall to place all of her pictures.  My parents took the boys and my sister and I got to work.  It took us two days, about 3-4 hours each day.

We didn't get to hanging the pictures and add the special features we have in store for her tree while I was down there, but my sister will be doing the rest and sending me a picture of the completed tree.  Grandma loves the tree and is excited to put up her pictures to enjoy her legacy.

Hope you link up with Tara!

Guess Who I Met?

I LOVE blogging and all my wonderful BBB (Best Blogging Buddies)!  Through blogging I have met some wonderful people and have learned SO much from each of them.  This is why Tuesday night I was excited to receive an email from Joanne over at Head Over Heels for Teaching to see if my sister happened to be at the same PD she was attending, several months ago I noticed from her TpT that she lived near my sister and parents in Florida and had contacted her because my sister teaches in the same district.  I was headed to my sister's the next day and arranged to meet up with Joanne while I was down in FL for a visit.

Joanne and I :)

Apparently my middle guy, Maxton, took this picture of us girls chatting :)

Joanne and I met at a park so our kids could play and we talked for three hours as if we have been friends (in real life) forever!  We also realized how small the world really is, Joanne and my sister knew each other and have some of the same friends.  We talked about our families, teaching, TpT, and of course blogging!  I can't wait for my next visit to my Florida so we can hang out again!

Our kiddos {not sure why Maxton didn't open his eyes & I think Carson was beat from the heat}

He slept in the swing for the first hour.

I think they had a blast!

Maxton took a sweet picture of Lily.  {I told him he could take one more picture, he took ten of  Lily!}

4th Grade Freebie! {Made It Monday & Optimum Organization}

I didn't plan on posting this week but I am SUPER excited for what I accomplished today!  On Pinterest I found the following idea at That's So Second Grade, and knew I needed to use it to organize my 4th grade CCS files.

That's So Second Grade Files

I cleaned out my filing cabinet last week, I tossed plans from my first year of teaching (nine years ago!) and several transparencies!  The picture below is just half of the stuff I kept, teachers are just organized hoarders :)

I typed up my labels which you can find here for FREE in my TpT store.  On my labels I added a "cliff note"of sort so I could quickly find and sort my resources.  Plus memorizing ALL those letters and numbers will take me forever and by the time I did memorize them it will change.

*Note you will need Avery Labels 8593. I found mine at Wal-mart.

I started with a stack of papers and began sorting them into each strand.  I had already created folders for the Big Idea, but sorted them into each individual standard (for example 4.NF.4 a).

I laid out a few folders and using my "cliff notes" I was able to quickly sort my resources.

Finally, nice and neat files :)  I also created files for Language Arts, Writing, Reading Literature, Reading Informational, Science, and Social Studies.

It's a bit late but I am linking up with Fun in Room 4B and Ladybug's Teacher Files Organization Linky Party...

...and it's Monday so I am also linking up with 4th Grade Frolics.

While downloading your Freebie don't forget my entire TpT store is on SALE with 20% to celebrate the start of my Summer Vacation!

School's {Almost} Out For Summer SALE!

I appreciate all the tips and link up to my ELA post!  I am still thinking how I want to implement a Reading Workshop and have many ideas running through my head :)

*This will be my last post for about a week, tomorrow is our last day of school.  Yes, we finish school on a Monday AND it's a half day!  Seriously, someone should have thought this out.  We have a few workdays and then my boys and I are headed to visit my Grandmother.  Last week Hospice was called in and she is receiving morphine every three hours, so we are headed down for a visit.  Please pray for her and my family during this difficult time.


On a more positive note I am having a SALE!

YAY!  I Survived this year!  Time to celebrate with a sale...20% at my TpT store!  Everything is on sale today through the 15th!

Two new products:

Year Long Common Core Spiral Math Review...this product SIGNIFICANTLY prepared my students for our state assessments. {on sale for $8.00}

Thinking Ahead...Need Your Help

I have been thinking about how to teach ELA next year, I know crazy time to think about it with 3.5 days left.  Next year will be the first time in four years I will not have the inclusion class.  I am excited to have a range of ability levels next year which is why I am struggling with deciding how I want to utilize my ELA block.  I am fortunate to have the freedom to do what I want and teach with a wide variety of materials (we do not yet have a Reading Series aligned to CC).  This is where you come in and give advice and share what you do or have done in the past. :)

Please help me by linking up a new or previous post about how you teach Reading, a lesson plan, tell what your reading block looks like, leave a comment with some good books to read on teaching Reading, etc.  Thanks everyone!

Currently & NC/SC Blogger Meet Up

Listening: no idea what this show is about, hubby is watching it.

Loving:  Holy Cow!  I just had my 200 follower giveaway in April!  I am now thinking about what to do for my 300 follower giveaway! Love you all!

Thinking: I have a HUGE to do list, thankfully my Monthly Goals will help me stay focused.

Wanting: I also need one bad!  It's beach time which means pedicure time!

Needing: I have walked two days now and packing my gym back for tomorrow, I will get back there!

Vacay essentials:  I am pale so sunscreen is a must.  Friends and Margaritas are essential to a girl time weekend vacay for me...I think I need one of these soon :)

Gretchen over at Always a Lesson and Dana from Third Grade Gridiron are putting together a Carolina Blogger Meet Up.  I am homing to make this, as of right now I have nothing conflicting, I would LOVE to meet up with all of the awesome bloggers.  Sounds like a good time to me!

Five For Friday Flashback

1. Testing is OVER!



My student worked hard for two days, we were the last class to finish both days.  On the Reading test I had three students sit there and do NOTHING for an hour each!  Seriously!?!  I have the group of students who shut down when frustrated, four hours for a reading test is quite frustrating.

2. First Crush {heart}



My oldest son is in Kindergarten and told me last night at dinner that he had a crush.  He was smiling and blushing through the whole conversation.  He informed me that he had a crush on not one but TWO girls. I asked him how he knew he had a crush on them and preceeded to tell me they were good looking...I couldn't help it but I busted out laughing {I know not my best mommy moment}.  They had Splish-Splash day yesterday and my son informed me that he thought the girls looked hot in their swim suits, and I then turned the conversation into a serious one.  I asked him where he heard talk like that and said the tv, I know exactly what shows too because I have been contemplating blocking those shows.  I explained to my son that six year old boys do not talk about how hot a girl is and if I heard it again he would loose all tv shows.  I taught him that we treat girls with respect and say respectful things about them, we can say they are beautiful, pretty, and nice.  I even went as far as if he heard any other boys talking like that about girls that he needed to teach them respectful ways to talk about girls.  I am just excited that he felt comfortable enough to tell me, his mommy, about his first crushes and I had the opportunity (at a young age) to teach him we treat girls with respect.

3. Best Tutor E.V.E.R.!

Mrs. M. and I have worked together the past three years, I appreciate her sooooo much!  She has been with me when I completed grad school, when I had my third son, and through this year of H-E-double hockey sticks!  Her last day was yesterday and this is the best gift she has given me at the end of the year :)

We won't be working together next year because I will not have the EC inclusion class, it is time for a break and I need to LOVE what I do again {it was that bad this year}.  Mrs. M, my co-teacher, and I will be heading out to dinner and drinks one day next week to celebrate surviving the school year!

4. Five and 1/2 Days!





Only 5 1/2 days left of school, that's right we finish on a Monday and it's a half day.  Who thought that was a good idea needs their head checked.

5.  June Monthly Goals

I posted my goals for June yesterday, I hope you set some for yourself and link up!  I did okay with my May goals, but let's be real here I am SO GLAD TO SEE MAY GO AWAY!  It was a ROUGH month!