Finally Friday Dec. 13

I heart this window so much. If not just today (as I'm writing, anyway) I'd had shutters installed I would have wanted it.



Very much something that other people worry about but come on. The number of people who still prefer hard copy (ME! ME! Though it is SUPER awesome to have an ereader when traveling. You never ever run out of books. Ever if you have wi-fi.)



Awesome quote. Do or do not. There is no try.



This looks tasty. Fattening, but tasty.



That's all. This week we had some fun with another class making Flat Gingys and getting excited about Flat Stanley. Started planning a new third grade project on future jobs and expository writing. AND ... we started inventory. We only have to do it every other year. It's such a pain. I guess an unavoidable and still important to maintaining the collection pain. But a pain all the same.
I can hear beeping in my sleep. :P

Throwback Thursday … Holiday Books

Back in December 2011 my sister asked for some suggestions of books to either buy or get from the library. These are not necessarily in order because hello, I am way too indecisive for that.

I posted this same list last year as well. I need some new suggestions, web reading peeps! The library wait list is taking too long and with moving/packing/unpacking I haven't been to the bookstore.


My Penguin Osbert

Is it the bowling pin penguin or the name Osbert? I love them both. What an idea ... get a penguin from Santa! Always have interesting discussions with little guys about the pros and cons of such an animal as a housepet.

Bear's First Christmas

I love this one for the pictures. So soft.

Uncles and Antlers

This one makes me laugh. Especially the Uncle from Texas and the one that looks like Elvis.

It's Time for Christmas

Love Duck and Goose. This is a little board book and my niece and I like to read it together. She has it pretty much memorized.

The Longest Christmas List

Greediness makes for funny times. And a writing prompt. !]

Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree

Upcycling at its finest. And, even more importantly ... the true spirit of sharing.

The Polar Express

Can I admit I've never actually seen this movie? Every year I swear I am going to dress up in my PJs and be an honorary 1st grader for the day. And then stuff comes up and I don't have time. :[ Liam Nissan's recording is quite good. Is that how you spell Liam Nissan? I should go look it up.

The Night Before Christmas

I just love James Marshall's illustrations.

Bear Stays Up for Christmas

I totally love all of Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman's books. The Bear ones happen to be favorites though they've got some other good ones as well. Anyway. MAKE SURE to get this one!

The Channukah Guest

We used to have a fairly large number of Jewish students at our school so it was looking for something for them that led me to this one. It's still my favorite Hannukah story (once I looked up the difference in the spelling ... I don't remember what it is, now). This one's pretty old but to have an older lady think a bear was her rabbi ... it's fun! Wish we could make latkes in the library. That would be cool. We always just have to compare them to McDonald's hashbrowns.

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies

Love Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond's circle stories. This is no different. Been working on If You Give a Reindeer a Rootbeer stories this week with 1st grade. Thank you Pinterest for first showing me the idea (which was actually done by a talented teacher but I just have to plug Pinterest because it's fun and useful for school!)

Llama Llama Holiday Drama

Love her paintings and love just saying "Llama Llama." Check out the YouTube reading if you haven't seen it.

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad

I loved (and collected) Little Critter books before I ever even knew I was going to be a librarian.

The Night Tree

The illustrations are what make this one. The soft lighting ... lights are my favorite part of Christmas!

Christmas Cookies

So this one ... really more for adults than children. And I only like the illustrations ... not super crazy about them. But I do love the definitions for different character traits and holiday traditions that are related to each cookie.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Remember this OLD movie? The book is better!

Let It Snow

This one is for a young adult reader ... but just look at the authors who contributed. Pretty good. I'd check it out of the library instead of buying it, though. Fun fluffy stories to read this time of year but not ones you'll go back to over and over.





(Later from Scheduling the Post Edit ... but none of you have seen these yet unless we're Goodreads Friends! ...)


Grumpy Badger's Christmas by Paul Bright





The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher by Robert Kraus






Snow Bunny's Christmas Wish by Rebecca Harry





Just Right for Christmas by Birdie Black





Christmas Mouse by Anne Mortimer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A simple little collection of rhyming holiday vignettes. Lovely illustrations.


The Smallest Gift of Christmas by Peter H. Reynolds
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Roland learns the value of small things. A good lesson, for sure.


Is It Christmas Yet? by Jane Chapman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A little one is so excited for Christmas and the grown up in the story patiently explains he or she will have to wait. The little one falls asleep. Pretty cookie cutter but I can't dislike it because the bears are so cute.



The move has been going ... in the grand scheme of things? Quite smoothly. In the day to day can you find what you need? Ah, well. Thought we decluttered already. Apparently we will do it again.

Finally Friday Dec. 6

Hello!

This bag is awesome. Like really awesome. Make sure you click through if you can't see the embedded widgets on Feedly or Bloglovin.




It's a different kind of bookshelf. But I love the retro look and it makes me want to go back to Europe for a longer visit. (JEALOUS OF MO WILLEMS WHO CAN SPEND A SABBATICAL YEAR IN PARIS. Just had to throw that out there. Even though I speak Spanish and not a lick of French past croissant.)




And I was TOTALLY GOING TO DO THIS with the box from the refrigerator. And then the manager forgot to tell the workers not to fill the box full of construction junk. :(




Note to self … get some clear plates before January. And figure out how to make this more curriculum related than just a "story and a craft." Cause that's OK sometimes but not all the time. This is too cute. If nothing else for a display?

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Boxes. And yet I'm still opening my Lego advent calendar.

And egads. Terrible photos. What's up with that? My phone is not usually this blurry.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Book Related Holiday Craftiness #2

Time for another installment of the projects I'm drooling over as I try to inspire kids and staff, keep my head afloat at school, and get the new place organized.


So … Pete the Cat. He's pretty cool. We used the pattern from Deanna Jump and then … Holiday-Fied it. I blogged more specifically about it here and below this pic is a sign (3AM Teacher, Melonheadz, and DJInkers, if I remember the credits for the images correctly) to help collect data on the glyphs. In a comment on that older post we realized that the TPT packet where I first got this pattern is no longer for sale. To be honest I haven't used the pattern since … ever. Eyeballed looking at the pieces. I'd dare say you could, too … it's all based on thirds of a 9X12 piece of construction paper for Pete. And total freehand other pieces.)

Already had one class make Flat Gingys. We'll see if they remembered to actually write about their experiences. The "due" date was today.

I'd like to see kids do this for holiday cards. ;)




Not necessarily book-related but … could I convince a class to do this to talk about book related apps?


Gonna put it out there so I don't wimp out … expect a pic from my house of this one.

#IMWAYR Dec. 2

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.



Last Week
Finished more than I thought I could. Some of it would probably better be called skimming. When I really get going I can "read" fast.

Truly confused by Counting by 7s. I loved it. Funny characters and just beautiful turns of phrase that make me stop for a second and be jealous of the author's ability! But … I'm not sure about kids loving it. Why do I wonder? Do they love it? I need to get a kiddo to read it and tell me what they thought! They loved Wonder and Out of My Mind so maybe.

Sherlock Holmes is always fun, even when (as is this case) the story seems a bit disjointed. The Ward could use some pacing help but was still interesting enough to keep me up too late last night.

Then also …

Blackout was … kind of disappointing, actually. Didn't HATE it but barely liked it. If that makes any sense at all.

All My Noble Dreams? LOVED. For me. Don't know of one kiddo that I could pass it on to (or the first book for that matter) but I just love this author's way with words. And I've always been fascinated with the time period and India.

And …
Champion by Marie Lu







This Week
Is the move (THEORETICALLY … #crossingfingersforsecondinspectioncausewehavetobeoutofthishousebySaturday). Packers come tomorrow. So … in honor of my new much longer commute (and all the trips we'll be taking back and forth with the stuff that "we" are moving ourselves, never mind the actual movers) … AUDIOBOOKS.

Except that several Christmas books are currently waiting or enroute (SHH! New place is actually outside the city limits … so when this card expires in about six months that's it, will either have to pay or be limited to the much smaller county library). And Sacrifice. And White Fire. Putting books on hold that I don't have time to read. It's a problem. Worse problems to have, though. ;)

Currently Dec.

Linking up with Farley!


 


Pretty for a Dec. Sunday evening. Even though it's making me feel guilty I haven't practiced in like a year. :(

I LOVE HOLIDAY LIGHTS. That is all there is to say about that.

I am moving this week. Out to the country. This house has been home for ... 2/3 of my life. I am more than a little freaked out.

Trying to remain calm that it will be worth it!

And also remembering that the kiddos at school need me to be there mentally as well as physically this week! Starting some holiday stories. Following up with the class that took home some Flat Gingys over the Thanksgiving week and hopefully hearing what they did. My 3rd grade RTI time group and finishing up our Google Earth Landforms iBook. Hopefully a book order or two coming in? I ordered them FOREVER ago. Or September, anyway.

Favorite tradition? Ham and cheese rolls wrapped in foil and warmed in the over (this is an important part). Hot cocoa (yes, even in TX when sometimes we're just pretending it's cool). Veggies and dip. Raspberry/strawberry jello. Shooting "hoops" from the kitchen table to the trash (the foil the sandwiches were wrapped in). Every year I can remember. Also decorating graham cracker houses. Who can pick just ONE tradition?