Think Pink!

That's right!  It's a girl!  And I must say that this announcement came much to the surprise of my husband and the 20+ guests that joined us at our gender reveal party on Friday night.  I have to admit -  even I was shocked.  Colby had me completely convinced for the past month that we were certainly going to have a blue baby, not a pink baby like I had envisioned in my head many months before we even became pregnant.  But, she showed herself clearly to the ultrasound tech and now we know, we are going to soon have a daughter.  I'll give you the rundown of Friday's events.

All week last week, I was anticipating the first day of fall break...not only because I needed a few days away from my little darlings at school, but because I knew that Friday was the day our baby's gender would finally be determined.  Thursday night, I didn't sleep well.  Something about knowing that such a big surprise awaited us the next day wouldn't let me get into deep sleep mode.  Regardless, I woke up early Friday morning to begin preparing for our gender reveal party that would take place later that night.  Our ultrasound appointment was scheduled for 1pm that day.  Our original plan was to find out together at our appointment and then to share the big news later that day with our families but as the day grew closer, I decided it would be so much more special to share in the excitement of all the family and friends that were coming to the party and not find out during the ultrasound.  My husband was not game on this plan, until I finally convinced him the night before the party....and I'm so glad I did.

When we arrived for our appointment, I checked in and immediately informed the receptionist that we DID NOT want to find out baby's gender during our ultrasound.  I informed her of our plan that we wished to have the ultrasound pics sealed in an envelope and asked if someone in the office could call the bakery we were getting our cake from to inform them of baby's gender.  She was more than willing to help and seemed to be really excited about our plan...especially after she found out we were getting our cake from Mondelli's Bake Shop.  She, like us, loves the butter cream icing.  When we were finally called back for our appointment, I checked with the ultrasound tech to make sure she was aware of our plans.  She showed us our sweet baby's profile and let us hear the heartbeat...156bpm.  Then, before she went searching for baby's gender, she asked us to turn our heads.  It was hard to not find out right then but I knew it would be so worth it just a few short hours later when we could share it with the ones we loved most.  Colby even turned his head willingly reluctantly and went along with my plan.  Just a few minutes later, she handed me a couple pics of baby's profile and upper torso and then an envelope with baby's gender pics. We left the office proud that we had actually not given into the temptation to look and extremely anxious for the party.

We went to the bakery and picked up the securely sealed box that held the cake decorated with either pink or blue.  We bought an array of pink and blue decorations and soon had the house ready for the big reveal. 

 

 

 

Moe's arrived a little before the party began to set up the food table.  It wasn't long until our house was filled with our closest family and friends all dressed in pink or blue depending on their guess for Baby Newsome's gender.  We had a chalkboard set up for guests to cast their votes for either Team Pink or Blue.  Each guest took a pumpkin badge to wear in support of their guess.

 

We ate some delicious Mexican, enjoyed some fun conversations about the possibilities of Baby Newsome and before long, it was time to open the cake box.  We all gathered around the kitchen table for the big reveal.   Colby and I worked for what seemed like forever to tear into the box.  When all the tape seals were broken and the box was opened, there she was...a little blonde haired, blue eyed baby girl under a pink blanket adorning the cake.  What?!?!  Shock and awe filled the room!  The daddy to be was probably the most shocked of all.  I was beyond thrilled and I honestly didn't know I'd be so excited for a girl.  See the below photos and video.

 

 

 

Team Pink was definitely the underdog with only 5 votes...including Mona, our basenji mix pound puppy.  The victory was definitely sweet for the three pink ladies below.  Yes, my dress is actually pink and blue but my badge said girl.  My reasoning for not going with just one color was because I wanted my baby to look back on pictures of this night and know that I wasn't pulling for one sex over the other...although, after looking at the reveal picture, I must have been wanting a daughter just a little more. 

The pink ladies! Me with my sister-in-law, Kelly and my mama. This will be the first granddaughter for my mother.  She was tickled pink!

Mona is so excited for a sister!

 

Whoo!  What an exciting, eventful weekend!  Sharing this wonderful moment with our closest loved ones was so special and will never be forgotten.  There is something about knowing the gender of the baby that puts me at ease.  Perhaps it's that I know we can start buying all thinks pink and girly and begin preparing the nursery for our sweet baby.  Perhaps it's that our baby has a name now...which I will reveal at a later date :).  Either way, I am ending my fall break feeling extremely blissful about my growing little girl and our growing little family.    God is so good to us!

 

I know in my last post I promised a description of our recent apple unit.  I may still get around to it this week but my sweet baby girl was on my mind and it seemed only fair that this post be dedicated to her.  I know you'll understand.   Here's to Team Pink!

E to the X to the H-a-u-s-t-e-d

Here I am...back after only 7 days!  See...I am trying!  I write this as I lay swaddled in my down comforter with my head comfortably positioned on top of two big fluffy pillows.  Yes, it's only Tuesday and I'm already drained....and we go on a field trip tomorrow....and Wednesday is also my long day at school this week...and this Saturday is our Fall Carnival, which means I'll be spending half of my Saturday at school. Do you feel my exhaustion?  Where is all the energy that I've been promised will come back to me in my second trimester? 

So where to begin?  We visited the baby doctor last week and got to hear Little Bobo's heartbeat of 150bpm.  (Bobo is a nickname we've given our little peanut recently.  Not sure how it got started but Colby and I use it frequently when referring to our unborn child...and sometimes each other.  We go through these weird nickname phases so I don't know how long it will last but for now, it suits.)   Then on Saturday, I took Colby lunch at the ER where he was working that day, and he and I played around with the ultrasound machine and got to see Little Bobo kicking up a storm!  I just love seeing my baby moving around in my growing belly.  He/she turned and flipped and showed us every body part except the parts we were really looking for...you know what I'm talking about.  We are 10 days away from finding out our baby's gender and have tried every way possible to find out before.  I guess Little Bobo really wants it to be a surprise when we have our gender party next Friday.  Once the gender is determined, the buying and planning and decorating can really begin!  Colby has already planned a pirate themed room complete with a mini shark filled fish tank for the son he is hoping for.  Meanwhile, I've got visions of pink flowers and frilly ruffles and crystal chandeliers dancing in my head.  I will be happy with a boy or girl...as long as I'm the favorite parent. Just kidding...kinda :).

 

 

Photos by Melissa Rossine

Other than being completely obsessed with a person I've never met, I've been emotionally drained from the first episode of the new season of Grey's Anatomy.  Seriously.  I'm not sure my hormonal, pregnant self can handle this show right now.  Coincidentally, Glee has switched nights to Thursday at 9 so I'm now torn between the two.  This week, I chose to go with Glee since I knew there would be lots of good music and peppiness to boot.  I DVR'd Grey's so I could watch on Friday.  I'm glad I made that decision.  I think if I had chosen to watch Grey's on Thursday, my Friday could have possibly been ruined.  I'm not even joking.  This show knows how to turn me into a blubbery, sobbing mess of a woman.  It ain't pretty, I'm just tellin' ya!

RIP McSteamy :(

Do I seem a little ADD to you tonight?  I apologize.  I blame it on my pregnancy brain.

In my last post, I know I promised you an update on classroom happenings and I wish I could say I have a whole unit to post about, but sadly, I do not. I just do not take pictures like I should.  I already feel like I do a million things at once when I'm teaching so I rarely have time to think, "hey, I should take a picture of this".   I am, however, going to share my latest Teachers Pay Teachers creation with you.  It's a Columbus Read Around the Room activity.  My kiddos love hunting for words around the room and since Columbus Day is next week, I thought I'd go ahead and create a fun activity for my Ks and firsties.  You can find the packet and its contents by clicking on the pic below.

In my next post, I plan to give you a rundown of all the apple goodness we've been working on in my class as we celebrated Johnny Appleseed's birthday last week.  Tomorrow, we visit the apple orchard and on Friday, we will have an apple tasting party to culminate our unit.  There will be lots of fun projects to share! 

Thanks for reading.  I appreciate all the comments, emails and Facebook messages letting me know you frequent my blog.  I feel so loved. 

Sweet Surprise

Yes, yes, I know.  It's been forever since I last posted.  What else is new?  I always have good intentions of posting...and then I get home...and my husband....or my dogs....or the couch seems to always call my name...my favorite evening being when all three do :).  Now that the new seasons of The Voice and Glee (yes, I'm a gleek) are back on, I do waste some time watching the tube, too.  Regardless, please accept my apology if you thought I was gone, never to return again!  My goal is to post at least once a week.  Motivate me to meet my goal with some feedback, comments or just by letting me know that someone out there actually reads my ramblings :). 

So...I'm officially through my first trimester.  Tomorrow will make me exactly 14 weeks pregnant and although there was no projectile vomiting from this mama-to-be, I am super happy to say buh-bye to those first 13 weeks.  I've been told that once you make it past the first trimester, your energy starts to come back and you can actually tolerate certain foods again.  I'm anxious to see if this holds true for me.  Since school started, it seems that by the time I finally make it home, all I'm capable of is eating dinner (take-out) and going to bed....sometimes as early as 6:30pm.  I've also had lots of headaches, mostly mild but last week I had the most monstrous migraine headache that absolutely debilitated and confined me to my house for two days.  I had to spend two days away from my precious school babies to lay in the bed, with a pillow covering my eyes, cold packs around my neck and around the clock Tylenol doses.   Luckily, I was finally saved with some meds called in from the ER where my husband was working; however, because there was such intense, throbbing pain in my head for so long, it took a whole day to actually recover from the migraine itself.  If you've never experienced a migraine, consider yourself lucky (and I'll consider myself jealous).

I began this blog back in the summer mostly so that I could document all the cool things that go on in my classroom.  And then...I got pregnant.  So if you are reading in hopes of finding a great project idea to go along with your Johnny Appleseed unit or a fun, fall writing activity today, stop reading now...because I'm about to flood this post with pics of my unborn child and our first trimester maternity pics.  I will do my best to post some pics of things that are happening in my classroom later this week, but for now, I'm going to brag... and show off my precious peanut, gender still undetermined.

Here's my little thumb sucker now...

 

Check out this great profile!  He/she is going to be a looker, like daddy, for sure! :)

 

 

And now, for some mommy and daddy (and baby) pics...

 

Proud parents :)

 

 

Our little pumpkin should be about the size of this little pumpkin right about now.

 

 

 

 

And finally, our gender teaser pic...

 

 

We don't know yet, either...and won't find out until October 12th.  Ahh! 

 

In the meantime, what do you think our sweet surprise will be?  A blue baby or a pink baby???

 

August Rush

It has been 17 days since my last post.  So much has happened since that post that I don't really even know where to start so I'll just let this pic speak for itself.

This is something we had been praying for almost a year.  We prayed that God would put a baby in our lives in His perfect timing; of course, with that prayer came a prayer of giving us the ability to be patient.  Our patience finally paid off one Sunday night when we shockingly got a pink little positive sign on not one, but two pregnancy tests.  We've since had our first prenatal visit and got to see our little peanut's heartbeat fluttering on the sonogram.  Take my breath away.  Cue the tear-filled eyes.  Now, we are just anticipating finding out if we are having a blue baby or pink baby!  We would be thrilled with either and just feel so blessed that God has chosen us to be parents to this special little person growing inside me...who right about now is measuring about the size of a green olive (about 1 inch).  Funny how something so small has already taken up so much room in my heart :). 

In other news, I've started back to school.  I am in love with my small class of 17 Kindergartners and first graders.  I truly believe I have the cutest, sweetest, smartest group of kinders and firsties ever!  We have been hard at work over the last 7 days, getting into the daily routine of school.  We've been practicing rotating through various centers, learning to use the computer and completing lots of fun, crafty projects which I'll share soon when I actually remember to take pics. 

In my last post, I promised pics of my new room which has a rock n' roll/funky animal prints theme, although I don't have a photo of my favorite decorative feature which is the records and animal print paper lanterns that my sweet, little husband hung from my classroom ceiling.  Special thanks go to my husband, mom and mother-in-law for helping me set up my home away from home.  I am very happy with how my room turned out and the kids really love it, too. 

Word Wall and AR book shelf

Reading Center with my new book shelf...thank you, Mrs. Lewis!

I Can board, schedule pocket chart and reading group resource bins

This is where students will put notes from home, completed homework and bookworms.  The purple chart below will hold our lunch cards.

Bravo board for keeping track of the our weekly table competitions, listening reminders (courtesy of Christie Berlener at First Grade Fever) and my behavior clip chart (compliments of my favorite blogger, Babbling Abby). 

The clips hold a picture of a student who will do a certain job each week. I change helpers every Monday.   Pictures of students who don't have a job that week stay inside the zebra print pocket.  I have done my classroom helper board like this since I started teaching and I love it. 

I've not decided if I'm completely thrilled with this board.  The idea behind it was based on Billboard charts but I didn't know where to start, so for now, this is what I came up with.  Suggestions welcome!

This is the bucket the kids put their library books in once they have read them.  On check-out days, my library helper takes the books back to the library.

Where my reading groups will take place...I am crazy for my crate seats! 

What do you think? 

In the midst of all the chaos of starting school, we traveled to Pike county last Saturday for my youngest nephew, Ashton's 5th birthday party.  Loved getting to see my family even if it was just for a few short hours.  I even got to paint a few faces like the Cat in the Hat in honor of the Dr. Seuss themed party!  Pete the Cat, my classroom mascot, went along for the ride so that I could share with my students his weekend adventures.  I was lucky enough to snap of pic of the birthday boy and Pete!

Just presh!

For Ashie's present, I got him his own Pete and a couple Pete books.  My kiddos love Pete!  Each weekend, my Pete will go home with a different student in my class and on Monday, we read about his adventures and check out pictures of all the fun things Pete got to do that weekend with that particular student.  The kids get so into it and can't wait to see who Pete goes home with each Friday.  I've used Curious George before this year but was introduced to Pete last year and thought he was a better fit for our class. 

And just because I love my mama so much...

Well, I hope that's enough randomness for you:  a pregnancy announcement, classroom decor pics & a birthday party.  I will try to not make it another 17 days before posting again!  My lesson plans and newsletter are finished for the week.  Whoohoo!  Tomorrow I get to spend quality time with the hubs which I am most excited about.  Have a great rest of the weekend! 

Back to School Blues

Yes, that's what I'm singing this week as I prepare to get back in the groove of the busy life that comes with being a teacher.  I do love my job.  I love seeing the kids' smiling faces each morning.  I love the million hugs I get a day not only from my students but from the Kindergartners and former students.  I love all the cutesy projects we do in first grade.  I love seeing the ginormous progress the firsties make as the year goes on.  I love gabbing with my co-workers before and after school.  With that said, I do not love getting up early.  I don't love doing a million things at once (i.e. simultaneously working with one child on an assignement while tying another student's shoe and answering a question of a different child).  I don't love being at school almost more than I am at home.  I don't love when my husband's schedule completely differs from mine.  I do not love getting home at 7pm and being so tired that I'm passed out on the couch by 8.  But, it all comes with the territory and there are many perks that come along with this profession - summer being one of them. 

I know I've been MIA for awhile.  I've been kinda lazy.  I'm trying to enjoy my last days of freedom and relaxation.  I've been sleeping late, not showering til late in the day, taking naps and spending time with my favorite people and pets.  I have loved not being on a schedule but since summer is winding down and my busy life will soon be picking back up, I treated myself to a new planner for the upcoming year.  Not just any planner though.  An Erin Condren Life Planner to be exact.  Personalized with a list of my favorite things that cover both front and back.  It was pricey but at least I'm now a bit more motivated to get back on track and be organized.  If you are like me and love planners, bright colored pens and making notes and doodles, I suggest you check out Erin's website.  My planner arrived this week and it was love at first sight.

In between my lazy days, I did manage to work a couple days in my classroom getting prepared for next week.  I still have several things to do til it's complete but it's definitely coming along.  I'll post pictures as soon as it's finished!  Until then, I'll be savoring every minute I can of the last days of summer break.  School starts in a week!  Yikes!

Just Call Me Martha

Why do you ask?  Because with all the craftiness that has been going on in my house lately, I'm considering changing my name to Martha Stewart...minus the criminal record.
Not that I'm counting, but school starts in 20 days!  What?!?!  I'm kinda freaking because there is so much I still want to do before my new batch of firsties walk through the door on the first day.  I have to say though that I have thoroughly enjoyed this summer.  This has been my first summer since I started teaching that I knew I had a job before the previous school year ended.  I cannot tell you the blessing it has been to not have to apply for jobs, drop off resumes and the part I loathe the most, interview this summer.  This will make my third year as a teacher at NMES and I can honestly say, there's no where else I'd rather be.  Knowing in advance I get to keep my same classroom and same grade level, has enabled me to plan, prepare and Pinterest all summer long for the 2012-2013 school year. I'm doing my classroom in a rock n' roll theme with bright colors and animal prints!  I am so excited about it!  With that said, let me show you some things I've been working on...all Pinterest-inspired.

My "Happy Birthday" Pixies! 

I plan to use these in place of the birthday certificates and Dum-Dum suckers that I usually give to students on their birthdays.  I made the balloon cutouts myself but got the "Happy Birthday" cutouts from Third Grade All Stars on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Click on the picture to get your own free copy of the birthday message.  The Pixies are from my parents' grocery store, Tackett's Market, and the best part is my mom donated them!  Don't ya love free stuff?!  I created my zebra vase from a vase recycled from my wedding last year.  I covered it in my newest obsession, zebra Duct tape, and then finished it off with some fabulous ribbon.

The coolest stool ever, if I do say so myself!

I got my stool from Target for around 20 bucks.  The feather boa came from Hobby Lobby, although I don't remember the cost...maybe around $5.  The paint came from Lowe's.  I bought the sample paint jars to avoid having to buy the big cans.  The round bars are covered in patterened Duct tape.  I love the finished product! 

A cutie patootie lollipop tree!

Yes, I have been known to bribe my students into using good behavior for a sweet treat.  When I saw this on Pinterest, I knew I had to make myself one!  Very easy and it will look way cute sitting on my desk!

"Crazy Good" Straws

Another incentive to bribe my sweet babies to do the "right thing".  Get your own copy of the "You were caught being crazy good!" cutouts, courtesy of Tiffany Gannon on Teachers Pay Teachers, by clicking on the above picture.

First day goodies!

These are going to be my gift to my students on the first day of school.  Since I am doing the rock n' roll/rockstar theme, I thought it would be adorbs to do my door with the saying "Our future's so bright, we have to wear shades!" and take pictures of the kids in their glasses for decoration.  I got the sunglasses at Target this summer on clearance for $1 for a pack of 6.  Meant to be?  I think so!  The tag was created by Hope King.  Check it out by clicking on the above pic!

"Welcome" bags for Open House!

I got this poem from Tasha Clapp over at Serenade to Second Grade.  It fits perfectly with my rockstar theme and has some yummy goodies my kiddos will love.  I wanted the kids to have a little treat during Open House so that they would feel welcome in my classroom.  I think they will make a great first impression.  Stay tuned to future posts to see my treat for the parents! Click on the above pic to get your own copy of the poem.

My trusty ole' rocker got a face lift!  Isn't she a beaut?!

I have been wanting to paint my rocker for what seems like forever and finally this summer, I did it!  Well, I did 75% of it and I have to give my mom-in-law credit for the other 25%.  I used the paint left over from my stool so that it would match and of course, the same Duct tape.  I am so tickled with how she turned out! 

Stylin' and profilin' crate seats!

You've probably seen these all over Pinterest and other blogs.  I couldn't resist the attractiveness and practicality of these little seats.  I made six which I plan to use around my reading table.  I plan to assign each student a pattern and make that their permanent seat for reading groups to avoid the race to get to a certain seat.  Click on the pic to go to the blog with the best tutorial I could find when making these jewels.  I have to give props to the Lowe's workers who cut my wood pieces out of the scraps they had for FREE!  That's right.  Free wood and cutting.  If you go there to get your wood cut, make sure to tell them you're a teacher, bring in one of your crates and ask if they have any scrap wood they could use.  The best part about this project?  Getting to use the staple gun!  It's my favorite new tool! 

My classroom door sign!

I got the idea for a classroom door sign from Babbling Abby at her classroom blog The Inspired Apple.  She used a ceiling tile for her creation but I decided to go with a canvas.  I bought letters at Hobby Lobby rather than freehand painting or stenciling them.  I used painter's tape and paint left over from my stool to make the backdrop.  I used a pencil to punch holes in the top and then knotted some ribbon on each side.  Do you love it?!

See how busy I've been?  I do like being crafty and seeing all the pretties I've created sitting together in my house.  Makes me feel productive.  Colby, on the otherhand, wishes they would magically appear into my classroom upon completion rather than in empty spaces all over our house.  He can't complain too much now because in all my DIYing, I managed to make a project to go in his home office.

He's got this thing for antiquey globes and nautical memorbilia.  When I saw this on, you guessed it, Pinterest, I knew it was just the thing to make for the office wall.  To use the tutorial I followed, click on the pic. I added a step after all the Mod-Podging was complete.  Colby wanted it to look a bit more rustic so we brewed some strong coffee and I lightly used a paintbrush to stain the map canvases.  My map was purchased at Barnes and Noble for around 8 bucks.  I got the canvases on sale at Hobby Lobby for around $25 combined.  Altogether, I have about $40 in this project.  Well worth it, I'd say!

So what have you been up to lately?

Take Your Dog to Work Day

That's just what I did yesterday as I traveled to my school to paint some shelves and organize some math manipulatives.  Anyone who has met Mona, can without a doubt tell you that she is a "mama's girl" so there was no question that she would be tickled to accompany me to work.  I can't say she was much help but she certainly brought energy and a certain charisma to my classroom as my pal, Olivia and I worked to prepare my room for the upcoming school year.  As we transformed two hunter green shelves to a fun Barney purple, organized a disastrous mess of construction paper and grouped math manipulatives into containers according to content areas, Mona watched, rested and barked...a lot.  She seemed to enjoy herself just fine. 

On the ride home.  Don't let the drowsy, drained look on her face fool you.  She didn't lift a paw!

While Olivia and I did get lots of good work done yesterday, the highlight of my trip to school came when I got to open and view all my new teaching goodies.  Few things excite a teacher more than fresh school supplies...and I got lots of them!  I was super-duper excited!

Just one of my stacks of goodies!

Expo markers, construction paper, paint pens, oh my!

Let's get crafty!

Mr. Sketch markers...scentsational!

Wouldn't you be pumped, too?  And there's even more I forgot to snap pictures of.  Gobs more construction paper.  You might say, "Wow!  That's a lot of construction paper!"  I would then have to reply with "You have obviously never taught first grade."  I have to say that I am very fortunate to work at a school that always manages to provide its teachers with everything they need to run an effective, engaging classroom.  Our teachers and kids at North Middletown Elementary are very blessed.  If I had a twitter account, my hashtag at the current moment would be #nmesrocks!

Hope you have a rockin' weekend!