Monday, December 30, 2013

Holiday Baking!

I know it's a little late, but there wasn't time to have a baking fest BEFORE Christmas! We had so much fun I decided to share some of our day. We had two simple goals:
1. The recipe needed to be kid friendly.
2. One of the items had to be fudge!

I found the Candy Cane Blossoms recipe on Pinterest. It looked easy with lots of helping opportunities for three year olds! Here's how it went....






It is good to have a helper to unwrap the kisses!



The fudge was mostly driven by adults, stirring a hot pan constantly isn't really kid safe! My fudge recipe is the marshmallow cream one! It's delectable and always turns out yummy.

I am NOT ready to return to school, no, no, no! This is my last holiday hurrah, the Christmas tree and decorations will soon be packed away.

Paula












Sunday, December 29, 2013

Thirteen in 13 Linking Party




I need a linking party to get me going for the new year! This looks like a good one! It is hosted by  Miss Kindergarten, a teeny tiny teacher and Dragonflies first.

My favorite clothing is the fleece vest! I have a variety of colors, they have good pockets, many with zippers so items won't fall out or be helped out by a small, inquiring hand, and they add warmth. I am always a little sad when it gets too warm to wear them.




Okay...this is the thing about me...I don't go to movies all that often, usually watch Netflix or rent and my preference is almost always...horror. My favorite movie this year...
The Conjuring


It is difficult to see a new horror flick that has a good story line, good actors and makes me jump! This one had it all.

This is hard to choose, I have my regular favorites...Bones and Supernatural. However, this year I discovered a good one on Netflix...Hemlock Grove.

Hemlock Grove (2013) Poster

The city of Wasilla, Alaska has grown quickly in the last 10 years, there are many more places to shop and eat then there was. But if I don't want to drive too far I go to the Roadside Inn!
Roadside Inn - Wasilla, AK


I cannot think of one new thing I did this year...just went to work and came home...I color themed my classroom..that was new and different..pathetic!



I'm going to list my favorite gift ever!
An electric guitar! 
I still haven't really learned how to play it....
hmmm...that should be a New Years resolution.


The best version of Little Drummer Boy I've ever heard!
by a cappella group Pentatonix




Survived another year.

This picture of my dad and I this summer.



I went to Oklahoma for 3 weeks. I went right to work the day after I got off the plane, it was a couple of days before I could see my grandchildren.   When I left for Oklahoma, they were not talking. They were at my house (with their mother, my daughter). I walked into my house and saw my grandson, but not his sister, I hugged and kissed on him and asked "Where's Z, Tristan?". He looked at me and said (clear as day) "Z's at home grammy". I just about fell over, I'll bet my mouth was hanging open!
To get thinner, healthy and have a more positive attitude!

Positive!

Happy New Year!

Positive Paula








Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas trees...Art projects....and kittens!

I haven't been around here lately, but wanted to share a little Christmas with you!

This is a quick and clever idea that a first grade teacher did with her class! She gave them green strips of paper and had the students place them by size, they practiced  using their knowledge of words such as longest and shortest. Then they used white paint and glitter for the snow and snowflakes.

This is our Christmas tree, we got a good deal at Walmart on Black Friday for a white tree! My husband loves the Christmas express train. We have a variety of animals in our household including two big dogs. The red tub is hiding the normal giant bag of dogfood we keep in this area!

My daughter who has twin three year olds put her tree on the table.
The twins made a cute project at preschool. They took a picture, printed it out (large- 8 x 10), made hand prints with brown paint, laminated and cut everything out, and glued a red pom pom on the nose! SUPER CUTE!


In addition to closing up the quarter and preparing for Christmas, one of our cats had kittens! Although this was NOT planned by the humans in the household, kittens are always so sweet, we can't help but love them and cry when they are given away.

 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a hopeful New Year!

Paula

Friday, November 22, 2013

Five for Friday....Gobble, Gobble!....ICE!

It's time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching!


ONE
Today was a weird day, it began with freezing rain which turned into a major problem for bus drivers, it ended with cars encased in ice. However, we were toasty in our school building, we made 
turkeys!
Materials needed: feathers, liquid glue, paper plates, googly eyes, red, orange, yellow construction paper and a brown crayon.


Cut the paper plate in half......

Color the back of the plate with a brown crayon

TWO
Choose 12 feathers
Using liquid glue, run a thick line of glue from "x" to the next "x".
Place your feathers



THREE

Cut out the head/body piece 


Glue body onto plate and glue on Googly eyes.


FOUR


Cut out the wattle and glue it on the body.
Cut out the beak and glue it on top of the wattle.
Cut out the feet and glue onto the back of the body.
and...

Awesome turkey!

FIVE

Ice Cube Car.....


I thought this looked kind of neat...even while I struggled to get the door open....


I am home snug and warm now...and don't HAVE to leave it for two days, the roads should be covered with snow providing some traction by that time..
as Pete the Cat says...
It's all goooooood

Paula






Saturday, November 16, 2013

Five for Friday (a day late)...November 15, 2013

How can a week seem so long, yet move so fast? That doesn't make sense! But time rarely does.
It is time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching!
ONE : The snow is here to stay! Here is outside transport for our little guy!


The other students love to help pull him around the playground at recess!

TWO: We are continuing using our counting by 5 pumpkins from Doodle Bugs!

THREE: It's that time of year for static.

FOUR: We had a visitor this week... The String Man...AKA Dave Titus, he told the kids a wonderful story using a string as the visuals, it flowed beautifully and the kids were sure he was magic! This is a photo of one of his books, ( I sadly did not have my phone with me during the story) but he also has DVDs. He  is very "kid friendly",  engaging when telling a story, patient and knows how to calm them down.



FIVE: I got out my snow book collection this week, the kids are very excited about the new sledding hill on our playground, but didn't get to use it this week. We talked about handling disappointment, and knowing that they WILL get to sled pretty soon!


I'm keeping this fast and short so I will only be one day late instead of three!  Later this week I'll share our turkey project!

Have a great week,
 Paula