October Currently

Breaking the blogger rule! See Farley's linkup here.

Foyle's Way. Mystery plus British period piece. Our family loves it!

Hot. It's always So. Stinking. Hot. in south Texas. But not this weekend!

Moving out of the house three weeks earlier than planned and (and therefore into a hotel) ... because the buyers and their realtor have no integrity and are not sticking to the verbal agreement that was our first response to their offer (and our realtor ... shouldn't have let them get away with it and asked us to sign the paperwork before THEY signed the addendum). And my brother is leaving on a mission for our church. To Brazil. For two years. I'm going to miss him so much. I wish I could say he's already awesome and compassionate and serves so he doesn't NEED to go. But someone in Brazil needs him.

Dear Sore Throat, I do NOT have time for you. Go away!

Brain Freeze there. If I think of a treat later ... ;)

Stamping a Pic using Skitch

Flipping is a big push in our district now. Annoyed with myself that I didn't do more of these before it became a "thing." I learn and try knew things for the kids, not because "someone" told me to!
I really did have the goal to make several this summer. Just ... never got around to them. Too busy enjoying #bookaday, I guess. ;) That and you never quite know what people will need ahead of time. Some things you can guess. But not all of it.





Do you know of an easier way? I think citing photos is still easier on a desktop. But the class had already started, it was the first day of bookfair and knew I wouldn't get to do much else for them, and Oh. My. Word. The tech stress this year? Because the district has also pretty much given up on fixing or updating student desktops. All money went to 3 iPads per classroom. 32 minutes from network login to opening a webpage on the computers in the lab. I kid you not. 32 minutes. Apparently a new lab is coming but we "need to be patient." Right. :P

#IMWAYR Sept. 30

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.






This Week

Didn't get much else done on Saturday but I did get these two finished.

The Wooden Mile by Chris Mould
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quite a lot of fun. Fairly easy to read (3rd or 4th, maybe high 2nd) with grand adventure. We do need to get a set of these at school!




Blind Justice by Anne Perry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one had a little more sanctimonious preaching of "the law" than I would have liked. That said ... maybe it was a necessary preaching? I don't know.
It was still an excellent story bringing Sir Oliver, his father, Monk, Hester, and Scuff together again.



And I managed to get one book from the fair finished.

Snow Bunny's Christmas Wish by Rebecca Harry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Saw this in the bookfair and picked it up.

It's fairly predictable but cute all the same. The little bunny misses the mailman so decides to deliver his letter to Santa personally. He prepares and packs a few items he thinks he might use. Along the way to the North Pole he ends up sharing those items with others in need and, in the process ... makes some friends. Which was his Christmas wish in the first place.

Soft illustrations. Definitely worth a library checkout and maybe even if you wanted a suggestion for a holiday picture book personal collection.



Next week? We'll see. I have this one out from the public library.

The King's Deception by Steve Berry









And as soon as it's actually delivered I am anxious to take a look at this one. I hadn't heard of it before but I love the idea. I play the violin. Or, I do when I practice.

The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson


Here's the trailer.




But with the recent turns of event I may be packing even more fervently. Less than half as much time as expected before I leave the house that has been home for a very long time. For a new place ... eventually. It's not done yet. Extended stay hotel in the mean time. And possible federal jury duty October promises fun times all around. :P

Thanks for all of the entries in the Easy Canvas Prints giveaway. As soon as I know who won I'll pass that along!

Homerun Readers & Bookfair Stickers

Well. You know how back in early August when I posted the pennant and I was going to have this finished? I finished it. And then it didn't work. We couldn't come to an easy enough way to measure the classes that did their nightly reading. Too many numbers, even when we didn't follow the directions in the packet.


And ... I can't find my pic of the bulletin board. DRAT! Come back in a couple days and I'll have it here or in the file so that you have a visual reference ... cause it turned out cute, if not useful. Also too lazy to make a nice cover page for this packet. But click here for what I do have and if you can use any of it then great! Wasn't a total implosion. :/

Oh and here are the bookfair stickers I made. And then never got printed and handed out. Color printer was on the fritz. :P

PS So Activities Inspired by Bear Gives Thanks, Slightly Spooky Stories, Wrestling Readers, and Differentiated Biography Research have been free for ... at the least one hour, the others several. What will it be tomorrow? I dunno.

For a While

last night it was something Thanksgiving-ish.

Right now it's something Halloween-ish.

Later today it might be something sports-related.

And for a little while tonight it might be something biography-related-ish.


I'm making up words in the post book fair haze. (Any creative ideas on consequences for ... really poor "I shoplifted from the fair" choices?)

And the "I'm moving three weeks earlier than expected and then into a hotel" haze.

Better get my rear end in gear. There is work to be done! For both school and the blog (revamped design is finally actually maybe on the horizon) and home.




I'd say I'm getting a little tired of waiting to understand answers but that wouldn't make any sense, would it. Not trusting enough in Him.

Finally Friday Sept. 27

Click through! I stayed with embedded Pinterest widgets this time.


Thinking of making this with some of the RSG, PreK, or K kids in a week or two. Only we will add "SPOOKY" buttons (little ghosts or bats or owls or cats or what have you).



Love this bookcase made from an old door.


Fun rolls! As if I ever cooked ...



I haven't updated my phone yet. Actually thinking about getting a new one. Maybe shouldn't spend the money, though. May very well be homeless by the end of the October. It was too good to think the timing of the sale of THIS house would coincide with the date we could move into the NEW house. And I know that's coming (the new place) and it still feels awful. What about the people that don't have that assurance? :/



So since I'm feeling so overwhelmed with ridiculousness at school (CAN ONE THING WORK RIGHT? ONE THING?) and then the housing/moving situation I may be starting this sooner rather than later. So much to be thankful for.





PS Sale this weekend! I thought it would let me mark some things 10 and some things 20 percent. Nope. Split the difference and went for 15%. But if you are around your computer between ... oh, between 4 and 7 Friday or 9 and 11 or 1 and 3 Saturday check any wishlisted items. There will be some flash freebies as well. I need something to cheer myself up! Bookfair's stressful. Moving is stressful. Stupid work where not one piece of technology EVER WORKS is stressful. :P

#IMWAYR Sept. 23

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.






This Week



Ugly Fish by Kara LaReau
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ever so funny. In terms of funny-ness and illustrations for stars.

Three because ... well, while I'm not sure every book needs to teach a lesson, per se ... it would be nice if Ugly Fish had longer to contemplate his actions.


The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur: USA by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Completely unbelievable but then again ... does it have to be completely believable? Sometimes it's fun when it's not!
Nifty little gadgets.
I'll have to get a few for our collection and see how they do. No, not the most literary but again ... not everything has to be. Building up stamina can sometimes be "just for fun" books.

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Jane Austen's novels. Not a fan of romance novels.
The two are different, are they not?

Anyway. If you read the first one this is just sort of a companion to that one, with more mystery thrown in. Very, very silly in places. Very nicely parodied Jane Austen in others. The author is a Newbery Honor winner, after all.

Now my next read needs to have some zombies or super heroes or something in it cause I need a break from the girly stuff.

I also saw the movie Austenland this weekend. So silly. But in a fun way.


Coming Up
It's book fair. I'll be lucky to stay coherent long enough to get home and in my pajamas. Maybe I'll get to read a couple picture books during a slow time? Only sent 6 kids back to their teachers crying today. Caught two kids taking something that did not belong to them. #bookfairdayone #rememberthehundredsofexcitedkids


Before they are due at the library ...

Blind Justice by Anne Perry

Love a good historical mystery!






The Wooden Mile by Chris Mould


Haven't started it yet or heard anything. Just thought the cover was interesting and the kids might like it.






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