Currently March

Can you believe it?

 I cannot. It feels like last week (it was actually 3 weeks ago) that we were snowed in for a few days, here in ATL, GA. Yeah, go ahead. I hear you choking back your laughter .... Well, if you need a good laugh, you should go back and watch what Jon Stewart had to say about our FIRST storm (Snowpocalypse #1 2014) from January. So, go ahead. Laugh. Here, I'll even post it for you...

(TIP: You may want to skip along to 1:30)
(WARNING: I don't agree with all of the crude jokes and remarks made by Jon Stewart, but some of his jokes really were funny)

*I couldn't insert the video, but just click here to open in a new window *


Here's the only few pictures that I snapped from both Crisises:

#Snowcopalypse #1:

Look familiar? Yup, I was able to snap this same shot that Jon Stewart talked about in his segment.

There's my poor car, after school on Tuesday, Jan. 28th. Our school did NOT release early, but these were the last cars left, being responsible and taking care of those kiddos (I was not one of them.. I was still set on taking the hubby out to dinner!)

#Snowcopalypse #2: 

Don't you love having the time to spend preparing a delicious and nutritious lunch for you and your family?

...After a total of 7 days cancelled due to "inclement weather," it doesn't feel like we had much of a January OR a February. Since we got back from our last snow-cation, we've been running like crazy to catch up on lost time. SPEAKING of lost time, our school district decided to make up our four days by adding 30 minutes to the end of the school day. So, I know it's all over the ATL news, but I'm not sure if you've seen anything about it in your neck of the woods.

The thing is, I'm really not mad. If anything it should (hopefully) benefit me. I have to make up a few lunch bunch segments, which I can definitely do on Fridays. And I may have to pull students in the afternoon. However, I have no doubt that it should work out just fine, and if I do all my make-ups sooner than later, I might get a FULL planning period at some point (would you believe that?! Coming from the person who had ZERO planning last year...)

Another funny thing, is that I had read one teacher's blog post (I can't remember who it was for the life of me, and I just can't find it!) about a teachable moment from the whole experience. She gave students the freedom to write a persuasive piece about what the school system should do in order to make up the days. Her kids were RIGHT ON THE MONEY with extending the school day 30 minutes so that we don't have to add days to the end of our school year! But I thought, "Pssh, what a great idea (especially coming from a kid), but noone would EVER agree to that..." Interesting, right?

ONE THING is for sure: This year will go down in our minds as HISTORY. We've never had 7 snow days in a year (let alone within two weeks of each other). I know that it was memorable for my husband and I (especially since the first storm came on his birthday - and unfortunately, everyone closed up shop and drove home by 2:00 that day, so the only place we could find that was open, was CHINESE. We live less than a mile from a BILLION restaurants, and yes the hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant was the ONLY thing open. So yes, he got Chinese Take-out for his bday dinner. He didn't complain, but I was mildly sad that I didn't treat him to the Stoney River or J-Alexander's steak dinner that I had planned :(

*If you wanna read more highlights about our crisis in Atlanta, please this post from Kelly at First Grade Fairy Tales. She did an awesome job summing up the good & the bad!* 

So no, that's why I can't believe it's March. Here's what's up:

Click the picture above to link up with Farley!!

1) Listening... I've accepted the fact that my husband (who just turned 27) will never grow out of video games. He gave up the XBOX for nearly two years, but he still played games on the computer. And then the ONE came out. And .... well, all I can say is that Marriage is all about compromise :) Plus, it gives me the time to sit on my laptop and blog hop! :)

2) I have the best job in the BEST school in the world. HANDS DOWN. More to come about that later..

3) We have rented this house since July, expecting that with a 12-month lease, our house in Augusta would have sold [hopefully - which it did, a few weeks after we signed this lease], and we would have enough saved up for a new house in this area. The problem with going from an area with a lower cost of living to a higher one. Now that it's *MARCH* we have exactly 4 months to find, close, and renovate (if necessary) the house of our dreams before our lease is up! I can't wait..

4) .... Don't we all? ....

5) HINT: No, the question is NOT "What are my favorite colors?" I can't choose favorites, very well... so think again :)

I can't wait to see everyone else's currently! Have a great March, everyone!
~Sarah :)

Morning Routines.... Then and Now

So, I'm really trying to catch up on writing about my amazing job and accomplishments so far this year! First up, I'd like to say that I'm pretty proud of my morning routine. Especially when compared to last year. Last year, my self-contained class went to breakfast together, came back to the room, unpacked, and then we had a morning priming segment before beginning calendar and writing journal. Since I worked as a Pre-K teacher fresh out of college, I didn't know a better way to get the day started, besides a little M&M (music and movement). Ever heard of Greg & Steve? He's got some AMAZING sound tracks for little ones, if you didn't know. So we listened to Greg & Steve's Good Morning song EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Yup, no joke. We listened to it for exactly 180 days (minus furlough). Following the GM song, I always had one more song to hype them up for the day. After a while, I found the songs that they liked. And I shortly figured out that it was easiest to play one song for each day of the week. So here's the schedule.

The only song that is not by Greg & Steve is the Gummy Bear Song. And I have no clue where that song came from. How did I keep up with this song rotation, you ask? Well.... have you ever heard of grooveshark?

 No? Well, grooveshark lets you set up a free account (or at least it did for a while.. I'm not sure if it's still free for the way I used it last year) and save your favorite songs to playlists, so that they are readily available for you to listen whenever you like. FOR FREE! The catch? I think you could only listen to your songs on one device. I used it for a few months, and it was great, but then our school district blocked that site, and I wasn't able to use it anymore. Sometimes I was able to play it through my cell phone, and hook it up to the speakers, but I couldn't always get cell reception, so I wouldn't suggest that idea. (I never liked having my phone out anyways.)

SIDE NOTE: I tried for the life of me, to take a snapshot of my playlists, but I still haven't gotten the hang of this windows 8. Ever since I updated the system, I couldn't figure out how to get out of the GoogleChrome app, and it won't let me open any other programs (like the Snipping Tool) side by side to the internet window. UGH. That's good ole technology for ya! I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later, but if anyone has a solution for me, please let me know! Thanks :)

Anyways,

 I've moved on from that. When I was interviewing for my current position, my administrators told me how the teacher did Morning Priming last year, and I was blown away by the inspiration! Since my kids don't have breakfast at school, they come to me straight for morning work, news, and sensory activities. It took a lot of consulting with parapros, first grade teachers, our occupational therapists, an instructional coach, and a program coordinator, but it's really come together. So here's what it looks like now:

8:20 - 8:45 Morning Work:

8:50 - 9:00: Social Skills lesson

9:00 - 9:10: Fidgets & Sensory Activities:

So, there you have it! That's about the first hour of my day! It's a pretty great way to start the day, if you ask me! I hope to soon share more about my daily routine, especially some of the social skills strategies that I use! But that will come... :) One day...

~Sarah :)

Liebster Award Part II:

It's THROWBACK THURSDAY!!! Hoorrrayy!

I've been very productive lately, and I thought that I need to get back FINALLY into the blogging world to share some great stuff that I've been working on lately! Last year, I had a self-contained position where I just had TOO much on my plate to ever blog about it. It was a great year, but it was a struggle to keep up.

Then, this year I hit the ground RUNNING (literally). I moved during the same week that I was supposed to be packing for my wedding and honeymoon, I came home from my honeymoon, and immediately (I mean the very next day) started working at my new job!

So I left this...

to come home to this...

And I will say that adjusting to A) a new school district B) a whole new staff C) a completely different position, and D) all new students ....was pretty time consuming! Add in learning your new name to the mix - my brain was a little chaotic there for a little while - not gonna lie. It's no excuse!! But I've also been trying to be a decent newlywed wife and spend some time with my new hubby this year :)

So either way... it's no wonder that I totally forgot about Heather! Heather is an awesome blogger from A Special Kind of Place :) She's also a resource teacher, so I have lots to learn from her.

You can click her button above to go visit her blog! Anyway, she had nominated me for the Liebster literally the DAY AFTER Katie did! I have totally forgotten about it, but I remember now, that I had to write not one but TWO apology emails to these amazing ladies, explaining that there was NO WAY I could sit down and blog any time soon. I was hoping to get back into it after I moved, and got back from the wedding, but ... well... you know. (If it makes you feel better, many of my Thank -You cards from wedding gifts were at least about 3 months late!!)

So I thought this (being Thursday) would be a great time to turn back time and reflect on Heather's Nomination. Since I've already nominated 5 bloggers, I'm just going to add my answers to Heather's questions! So here they are! :)

1. What is your favorite memory?

The day ... or I should say WEEK ... that I got married. :) I couldn't imagine a better experience. My whole heart smiles EVERY.SINGLE.TIME I think about it.

2. If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Apart from ...my husband? .....Ummmm, I really don't know. Meeting new people make me nervous sometimes!! I think I would be too shy to meet a celebrity!

3. What would you do if you won the lottery?

Buy a house. The #1 thing on my mind these days.. more about that in upcoming posts.... Secondly, I would spend a good chunk of money on a cause that would benefit children in some way. Probably Autism Speaks, or something. And lastly, I would be sure that my dad is taken care of for the rest of our lives.

4. What is your favorite movie? 

Favorites are so difficult. But our PTA asked us this question this week, and I answered with Pitch Perfect. It was the only (recent) movie that's had me dying of laughter (can't believe it's already more than a year old...), so I think that was a good choice!

5. Who inspires you to do what you do?

My Dad. He always told us growing up: "30% of people live to make the world a better place. 70% just live in it." Honestly, I made those percentages up. I can never remember what he told us. But seriously, how many people have desk jobs and clock out at the end of the day, and don't think about work again until they walk in the office the next day? NOT teachers, I'll tell you that! I chose to teach children with special needs about a month after I graduated from high school. As soon as the idea hit me, I KNEW it was the right choice, because it would improve the lives of families who struggle with everyday difficulties that come with having a child with a disability. There are so many children now with disabilities, that I knew it would be rewarding and make a difference at the same time. :) When times are tough, I always remember what my dad always said!

6. How many different jobs have you had in your life?

Too many to count. I started working at Coldstone at 16 years old, a pizza place at 17 (that's where my husband and I met), Ruby Tuesday throughout college, a school in Evans County, a couple of day cares (as summer camp counselor, and a Pre-K paraprofessional for a short time), and two different positions at a Richmond County School, and now here. But everywhere in between, I have been a nanny, baby-sitter, tutorer, ABA interventionist, and worked for my Dad here and there. And I feel like I'm missing a few....

7. If you could be a flavor of pie, what would you be?

Well, I don't like pie. I would say apple pie, but I think I'd much rather just be a slice of cheesecake :)

8. How many countries have you visited?

More than I know. All over Europe as a baby (which I don't remember, of course), and Italy in 1st grade, Mexico a few times, Bahamas many many times, and other Caribbean countries (from a cruise). I think that's all.

9. What is your best advice to a new teacher?

You will not survive without building relationships/ collaboration. I build relationships with families starting on open house (by bringing cups, juice, chex-mix, and cookies) and checking in via phone within the very first week. I also do a "Glow and Grow" during conferences, so it's mostly positive. Lastly, I meet with other teachers, therapists, and administrators to bounce ideas off of each other to help the kiddos. It's REALLY tough, but I try to meet with every teacher once per week. I build it into my schedule before and after school. And if we have nothing to catch up on, it's good to chat and vent every once in a while :)

10. If you could live in any time era other than now, what would it be? 

I'm not exactly a fan of history, and honestly don't care to live in any other era than this one. If I had to choose, I definitely wouldn't want to go back further than the 50's. I used to watch That 70's Show! I'd LOVE to experience growing up in the 70's. Plus, I grew up on Oldies. I'd be the kid that listen's to the radio 100% of the time.

11. What is the best thing about teaching? 

The very best thing about teaching is enjoying what I do. I get this feeling almost every day, and at the end of the day, it's not about who progressed in what, it's about ME accomplishing my lifelong DREAM of making a difference in the world. And if I have fun while I'm doing it, and if I'm able to share my knowledge with other teachers and parents, I'll say that's gotta be the best feeling. I may have suffered for 4 years throughout college, and endless nights working at a restaurant to afford it, but either way: I made it through, and it was TOTALLY worth it :)

Have a great night! Until next time....

~Sarah

PS: Stay tuned for some sneak peaks at what I'm working on, as well as a description of what I do these days :)

Liebster Award!!!

Well, since I'm snowed in....

I figured I'd FINALLY get back to this Liebster Award Post that I was supposed to write back in July 2013!! 

The Liebster Award is an award for new blogs. Liebster is a German word that means: BELOVED, CUTE, LOVELY, DEAREST, & WELCOME!

I thought I would hop on and accept since it was so kind of Katie to nominate me. She has a resource position, and some GREAT ideas. I love that I've found someone with a similar position to my own, so I really hope to gain alot of insight from her in the future! You can find her blog by clicking on her button below:

Here are the rules of accepting the nomination-
To accept the nomination I must:
1. Link back to the blog that nominated me
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers
3. Answer the questions posted for me by my nominator (Katie)
4. Share 11 random facts about myself
5. Create 11 questions for my nominees
6. Contact my nominees and let them know that I nominated them

**The Nominees**

- Butterflying through Teaching

                 
Miss B. has a cute little blog and NEEDS to be recognized for it! She's got alot of great posts, too, so go and check her out!!

- The Land of I Can

                
Heather, from The Land of I Can, is a Kindergarten teacher who has been blogging for about a year now, but I've only just found her. She has a CUTE blog, and a bazillion awesome posts that I can't wait to explore in the near future.

- Teachers Are Terrific

                

Carol, from Teachers Are Terrific, has a wonderful blog with tons of rich posts! Her blog has been active for a couple of years, but she is new to me. She has lots of experience in 3rd & 5th grade, and has just recently switched to a STEM Lab teacher (which must be amazing!) I can't wait to catch up on some of her posts, and continue to follow her in the future!

- A Classroom Full of Smiles
                

I found Mary through DoodleBugsTeaching's most recent Five for Friday! I was instantly drawn to her cute button, and I cannot wait to see what she has to offer, and follow her in the future.

- Last, but not least: 

                
Elyse, from Proud To Be Primary, caught my eye with her cute button (I'm a total sucker for chevron as well as pastel colors). She is an amazing blogger from Canada, and she has been around since 2013. I can't wait to explore her amazing posts as well as the others!

11 Questions I need to answer from Katie: 

1. What was the first teacher blog that you read/followed?

I honestly can't remember, because I got into blogging almost all at once. However, there is one blogger that stands out in my memory more than the others, and it makes me SO sad that I can't remember. But I'm pretty sure that I read all about her room set-up. I had stumbled upon her one day, and she was the first blogger to really suck me in and captivate my interest. I didn't pay any attention to it then, but began reading blogs when I found out about Pintrest much later. I've looked for her since, but for the life of me, I cannot find that blog. Believe me, I've tried, and I'm still looking for that blogger out there!! It makes me so frustrated, so I'll seriously have to update this when I find her!

2. What is your favorite lesson to teach your students?
Eeeeek, I really don't have one favorite. I feel like I never teach anything twice. If I do, it's so differentiated or vamped up from the first trial, that it's completely different! Last year, with my K-2nd self-contained students, I really got into Calendar, and it was definitely my favorite time of the day. This year, I have really found to like teaching social skills. And Andrea Cardenas has been an awesome resource that really makes social skills lessons FUN! Check out her blog HERE!

3. What are your top 5 school supplies?

*Post-it notes (the larger size-with lines!!)
*Colored Pens
*Highlighters
*Laminator
*Paper trimmer

4. Favorite 3 classroom apps (if any)?Now, I had an iPad in my classroom last year, but I no longer have one, since I had to turn it in when I moved :(. However, it was used as an independent work station during our daily rotation (we had a 3:5 student/teacher ratio, so if they were not learning Reading, Math, or Spelling with a teacher, they were either at the computer, workstations, puzzles, listening center, or iPad.) and these are some of my favorites that I downloaded for them. Once they got to the iPad station, I usually opened up some program that I wanted them to practice on for a set amount of time. When the timer went off, they are allowed to choose their own activity.

* Agnitus
                
*ScootPad
                
*ABC Phonics
                

5. If you have a TPT store what is your favorite product of yours? If not what is your favorite product you have found?I have not set up my own TPT store for my own products -YET. I definitely have plans to, though! Therefore, I'll have to rave about an amazing product I have found. And this is very difficult, as favorites are difficult for me anyways.

6. What has been your biggest challenge as a teacher?
Time Management. Always been a weakness.... *sigh*

7. Funniest thing you have had happen while teaching?
It's so hard to remember everything! But last week, it cracked me up when a child called me "Mommy!" That's always fun.

8. If you could have anything for your classroom what would it be?
An iPad... *sigh*... I had one last year, but had to give it back when I moved to ATL. I was really dreading that day, and I still miss it :( ....Next year, I am going to write a grant for one :)

9. Favorite "Professional Development"/teacher book?





Number Talks by Sherry Parrish. No doubt! She is amazing. I've known about the Number Talks program since I worked at my last school, and I've never implemented it, but I'm always fascinated to learn about it (that's the mathematician in me). Last week, she even got to come to our school and demonstrate a # Talks session for us! It was amazing. She did one session for each grade level, and so we got to observe in groups. After the session, she met with us in our professional learning room for a Q & A session. It was so exciting to have that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! *Click on the picture to order!

10. Favorite picture book?

It's so cute! The first time I read it, I thought it was the best picture book ever! Of course, I have a million favorites, but I don't think I've ever read a children's book that made me laugh so hard! :) *Click on the picture to order!

11. What is one thing on your bucket list you want to complete before summer is over?Well, it's funny since it was still summer when I was nominated! However, my summer was too crazy for me to answer back then. I could make a list of all of the things that I did wish to complete before summer ended, or the things that I actually did accomplish before summer ended, but seriously! That will have to go in a separate post!

11 Things About Me: 

1. I am extremely indecisive when choosing Favorites. Decisions can be difficult any time, but I'm always none for having 1,000 favorites. And they change all the time. One day, there will be a post highlighting any lines that say: "It's my favorite!"

2. I just got married on July 21, 2013 (yes, it still feels like yesterday) to the amazing love of my life, and I FINALLY feel like I'm used to my new married name (took long enough!)

3.  I LOVE shopping. It makes me the happiest person in the world. Mostly I love to shop for clothes, or shop online, and most of all, I REALLY love house hunting. There's nothing like finding your dream house :)

4. I LOVE to be lazy. Lazy weekend and summer days on the couch with my laptop are the best :)

5. I also love searching the web. Mostly on Pinterest. (hehe)

6. We have two dogs. Sasha and Milly. They are cute, and amazing additions to our little family. I couldn't imagine any other pets more perfect for us!

7. I am from Alpharetta, GA. A small rural town grown to a national favorite. It was small when my parents built our house there in the 80's. But now, not so much. Traffic is one of the main reasons why I decided to move as far away as possible for college.

8. And speaking of traffic.... I hate traffic! I know everyone does, but I learned how to drive in the suburban mess of roadwork traffic, and I got spoiled living out in the country for 7 years. And every time it hits me, the road rage comes back. I'm very fortunate to live 2.2 miles from work this year. And even then it drives me BONKERS every time I have to sit at the main traffic light for more than one rotation (I mean, come on. The ONE light will DOUBLE my commute time. No kidding.)

9. I like to think I have a gift with working with students who have Autism Spectrum Disorders. I've had a passion for the field ever since I first heard the word "Autism" and learned about it in high school. Definitely found my true calling.

10. I was born on Flag Day. Noone knows what that is until they meet me, but it's on the calendar. Look it up :)

11. I'm a middle child of two boys, I have 3 new sister-in-laws, and I love big families. I can't wait to start a new one of my own one day :).

11 Questions for the NEW nominees: 

1. When did you first realize you were going to be a teacher?
2. What got you into blogging?
3. How many amazing years of teaching experience do you have?
4. What is your favorite grade level and subject area to teach?
5. What is one thing you like most about your school or district?
6. What are your top 3 must-have teaching supplies that get you through the day?
7.  What is ONE huge thing that you wish legislators knew that could benefit the field of education?
8. What is the most beneficial professional learning/workshop/conference that you have ever attended?
9. Do you have a top blogger that you love following the best? (If you can't choose just 1, list up to your 5 favorites)
10. What is your favorite technology educational tool (website, app, etc.)? (If you can't choose just 1, list up to 5)
11. List one bit of "Chicken Soup" that gets you through when times are tough.



Head over and check out all these wonderful blogs!! I REALLY can't wait to read everyone's responses.

~Sarah :)

I'm back!!

And for some reason, THIS song is ringing in my ears: 

I love this song! It's great to jog to! And it's even better if you love Dirty Dancing (which - by the way -- who doesn't?!)

So after about 5 months of being absent from the blogging world, I thought I'd start by linking up with Kacey from Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for FRIDAY!!!

And... Just FYI: This has been the craziest year ever! Things have been going very well for me lately, which reminds me to count my blessings (which I need to do much more often!!) So, here's a little mix of Chicken Soup for MY Soul, which may come in a little handy later on down the road ;)... So there is really nothing related to teaching (as usual), but I still hope you enjoy!

1. Did I mention that work has been going very well ever since Thanksgiving Break? Well, I've found that I have a LOT more time on my hands. Like time for packing up 60 Christmas cards in one night (complete with labels and stamps! --YEAH!), for example!

2. On Tuesday, I got to drive to work in the LEAF! 

Yup! This is the color we got! Funny-lookin, but SUCH a cool little car!

Yes, my husband and I leased a Nissan Leaf back in September (Long story short), and he uses it as his commuting car (he drives an hour through traffic every morning) and drinking up a tank-and-a-half of premium gasoline was getting to be too much. So we are saving  A LOT of money by having this extra little car, AND we get a nice tax credit in the spring to make it all worth it. Well, since we couldn't resist taking it out over the weekend, and we forgot to charge it over night (and because this car was blocking mine in the driveway, anyways!), I got to drive it to work! 

                                       
The hubby couldn't have possibly made it to work on 12 miles, but I did just fine (my commute is literally 2.2 miles each day). So this was a great start to my day. I guess I was just a little excited, because I don't get to drive it too often. But, I mean, come ON: Heated seats, heated steering wheel, navigation (none of which my 2012 Camry has), AND building Eco-trees at the same time?!?! How could it possibly NOT be a great start to your day? It was a great treat. :D

3. I regret to say that I've been WAY too busy with school work this year, and the holidays have flown by without much warning. And after receiving a couple of amazing Christmas gifts today, I realized I REALLY need to start cracking down on my Christmas shopping! Ahhh! But look what my amazing Co-Teacher made! Aren't they cute?! They were so delicious, I almost ate the entire thing during my planning this morning :)

4. So on Monday, my co-worker recommended a recipe with pork, root beer, and barbecue sauce. I tried it tonight, and I'm telling ya! You NEED to check it out HERE: 

5. I saved the best for last: All I could think when I woke up was: T.G.I.F (I didn't mind that it was Friday the 13th. Life has been going too well to worry about anything lately!). And as if I born again, I danced down stairs this morning and went about my morning routine with this song stuck in my head. So please take 2 minutes to enjoy :) ...And whatever you do- DON'T imagine me dancing around the kitchen preparing my meals for the day while listening...  

~Enjoy! I hope to be back soon with some VERY important updates! 

;) 
~Sarah

Currently July Linky Party!!

I've been SO excited to join in on my FIRST Currently Linky Party with Farley! 

*WARNING* Mostly, this is just about my excitement for my wedding, so if you don't want to hear (Read) it, I understand if you completely skip over it. Sorry, but it's all I can think about lately!! 


*LISTENING*
~Currently listening to Pandora on my phone. This year, my love got me a Bluetooth Bose Speaker for my birthday, and IT.IS.AWESOME!! It is SO much clearer than my phone, and it actually has a pretty good battery life! Anyways, my favorite thing to listen to {lately} is oldies. I added a 60's-80's music station on my Pandora, and I LOVE IT! Of course, it's all GREAT stuff that takes me back to my childhood (yes, it's all my dad let me listen to growing up!) and it puts me in the mood even more for the wedding. 

*LOVING*
~This past weekend was a weekend FULL OF LOVE! We went to New York to visit my love's mother and family (he was born and raised in Albany). She threw us a wedding celebration (not shower) to celebrate for all the relatives who aren't coming out to Mexico for the wedding. We got to visit with a bunch of people that we rarely see (which is always great!), and I got quality bonding time with two of my three soon-to-be sister-in-laws, one soon-to-be brother-in-law, and two soon-to-be nephews! I get along really well with my soon-to-be mother-in-law, and I feel like I couldn't have picked a better family to marry into! It also makes me happy to be gaining 3 sisters, since I grew up with 2 boys my whole life :/ ...Either way, it was a great weekend, awesome party, great weather (until we got rained on), and I can honestly and truly say that I LOVE MY NEW FAMILY!! I know I'll get to see the immediate family in 2 and a half weeks, but I still just wish I had more time with them this weekend! :(

*THINKING*
~HOLY MOLY! My name is changing in 20 days! It's definitely going to be an adjustment after living with a particular name for 25 years, and teaching as "Ms. Austin" for the past 3. I even talk about myself in third person with the kids!! This is going to be so difficult. But I can't wait :D.... Actually, I have been excited about changing my name since I was little (I hated the name Austin!) and I LOVE my new last name. The *CRAZIEST* part is that pre-planning for new teachers in the county starts while we will be in the middle of our honeymoon (I'm missing three days ...whooops), so we literally get back from our trip on a Sunday, and BOOM!! Monday I walk into work at 8am as a NEW PERSON! It's going to be CRAZY! I'm going to meet SO MANY new people and say: "Hi, I'm Sarah Austin I MEAN!! KRAMER!" Hopefully I get used to it quickly!

*WANTING*
~I have several gift cards that I need to use up at the mall (Call me crazy, but I literally have not had TIME to go shopping since before my birthday)...and I can't wait to buy new stuff for the trip! I need some new dresses and bikinis! {But who doesn't?} Besides, all of this house-hunting and down-payment-saving makes it hard to go splurge money right now. So now that I have some b-day gifts to spend, I can go shopping without spending any of my own! :D

*NEEDING*
~Well, I have a long list of to-do's for the wedding. And I was supposed to do them today, but I didn't have time to get to about 70% of my list! EEK! On my list of things I need to do is: Order bridal party gifts, order wedding guest favors (I'm doing sunglasses to do that cute thing off of Pinterest where it says: "DON'T BE BLINDED BY OUR LOVE! TAKE SOME SHADES! 8-)"), and I also need to finish the centerpieces (I made one last week, and will post about it soon!) make some table number signs and place cards. I was going to order them off VistaPrint, and decided it would be cheaper to make my own, so I went to Walmart last week, and stocked up on cardstock. So now I just have to create a template that I like, and get-r-done!

*MY NEW RULE* (Not sure if it works as a tip, or a trick, OR even a hint, but maybe you can take this as a reminder when work gets over-out-of-control)
~ People always tell me not to waste my time re-creating the wheel. That's why I've become SO fascinated with the amazing Super-Teacher-Bloggers out there (that's what I consider you all to be, anyways) and all of the products that come up on TeachersPayTeachers. It actually came in really  handy last year when the second grade team was clueless to some of the new common core standards, and I told them all about TPT. It saved EVERYBODY time, because there are such excellent resources out there, and they didn't have to completely start from scratch to create their own lessons. However, (although I am usually able to find most of what I need on TPT) I still take alot of resources from school and modify them to fit my students needs (don't we all) and I always get yelled at by the Mister at home for "working too hard." So therefore, I'm allowing myself *One Teeny Exception* ... I'll recreate my school resources if their's aren't cute enough. ;) ...Besides. I never usually have time for all that cutesy stuff.  The only thing I usually do is create checklists for particular material. And hey, that's pretty time consuming alone!

Go check out Farley's blog post HERE to see what everyone else is Currently thinking this July! And have a wonderful July 4th, everyone!

Alrighty, teacher friends! Next time I join in on the Currently Linky Party, I WILL BE A KRAMER. And a super-busy-one with hopefully a new house, new job, new school, and new name. Whew that's a bit much to think about at once! Maybe I should just focus on tomorrow?! I'll be back again soon!

PS: Happy Canada Day, for whoever's Canadian! The only reason why I know it's Canada is because my dad called me from there today! ...And he told me... HA!